Le Pew Tails: Love at Many Sights and Scents
by bellechat
Summary: How the romantic skunk and timid cat kept meeting the other. Written from readers' requests.
1. Cat Meets Skunk

I do not own Pepe or Penelope (or any of the Looney Tunes characters or episodes.) I do not even own the brand Keds. You already knew that!

I do own Pepe's family, Penelope's family, the two cons and Pepe's girlfriends.

_Author's Note: I'm losing my brain!! Too many plots and ideas and now my daily schedule of life is back on course! That means only a few moments to upload! I hate my life sometimes! I'm sorry if you're all getting confused with these stories. So hears how I'm doing it officially: This one here is about the many meetings of Pepe and Penelope (hopefully I can stay faithful to Chuck Jones masterpieces.) It shouldn't be as long as my other two stories. This weekend I'll start the first chapter of another story in which Pheffe's life has a huge change (a good change!) I'm only doing one chapter for this story at the moment because the ideas I had for it are missing from my brain. I'll need to recover those. First part though I have! If I have enough time I will wrap up my To Have and to Hold story. (I forgot to put something in there and I felt stupid that I realized that detail about a day after I uploaded it!) I'll still do the others in progress when I get those two little pieces finished. So there you go and thank you for being splendid readers who are patient with me. This one starts in Casbah…about five years before the events of Le Pew Tails. Penelope is twenty and Pepe is twenty-one. I must have watched all of Pepe's cartoons (especially The Cat's Bah) to help me write this chapter! Oh, and I heard there will be new Looney Tunes episodes on television! Really! _

**Le Pew Tails: Love at Many Sights and Scents **

By:

bellechat 

_**Chapter One **_

_**Cat Meets Skunk **_

Nancy heaped spoonfuls of chocolate mousse into a big bowl. It was her homemade recipe that was as delicious and luscious as a fine quality mousse from the most expensive restaurant. She had made it for dessert for her large family whom she always had on her mind. She felt sorry for one particular son in mind. One who usually did not have a breakable heart, but tonight that had changed.

Miniona Nouvel, a skunk he had considered being engaged to, had not been the one. He had found out the truth, she was a certain type of dancer in New York on the weekends when she had really been telling him she had a sick grandmother to nurse.

It was Shamus who found out on a school trip to America. It was for selecting fine colleges across seas. In that little "restaurant" he and some school companions went to there were the women danced on objects attached to the floor and ceiling. Shocked he wondered if his brother knew.

He did not.

He confronted her that evening only to realize she did not really love him. She wanted only on certain thing from him and he would not give it. He left her, crushed and hurt. He thought that one thought everyone thinks: "Doing the right thing is so hard!"

It was not normal for him to feel this way. He never let break-ups get to him. He shook off the past and moved on. Yet now he couldn't find the courage to do so.

Nancy went onto the porch were he sat in the creaky porch swing.

"Pepe?" she said. "I brought some chocolate mousse. Chocolate can help ease the hurt I'm sure. Zhat's why women eat eet a lot."

She chuckled, but her twenty-one year old son did not smile. He sniffed. He had been in silent tears for the last five minutes. Crying was not normal to him when upset. Nancy sat next to him and put the bowl in his lap.

Reluctantly he took spoonfuls of the mousse to his mouth.

"Mom," he said, clearing his throat. "Eet's not doing anytheeng."

"Diet Pepsi," Nancy said dearly. "Many women would say eet's your fault, but eet's not. Eet was Miniona's fault. Eet was zhe girl. She lied to you and tried to use you. She toyed weeth you heart."

"You don't know heartbreak Mom," said Pepe. "You married Dad fast."

"I deed," she said. "I'm trying to calm you down. Zhat's what a Mom does. You deed zhe right theeng een saying 'no.'"

"Doing zhe right zhing eez painful!" said Pepe. "Why do I feel so bad?"

"You pretty much just told me right now," said Nancy. "Zhe right zhing eez not easy, but eet's worth eet. Maybe not at once, but eet does. I'm not een a rush for you to find zhe girl of your dreams, I just want you to keep your promise of staying faithful until you are married. Eet weell mean more."

"Why do I even bother?" said Pepe leaning back in the swing. "Why should I even go on weeth zhe search."

"Pepe," sighed Nancy. "I don't care whether you do marry or not. Eet's just…I want you have someone to take care of you because your father and I can't always be around to do so. I don't want you to be alone, but eef zhat's what you want zhen I'll learn to understand. I don't zhink you understand zhat love takes time to grow, eet doesn't always take a moment to happen."

"Mom I'm twenty-one, shouldn't I have found zhe girl now?" asked Pepe looking into her eyes.

"I zhink you weell find her," said Nancy as she put her arms around her son. "To be found, you have to be lost first. Or zhere's no point een searching."

"I don't know about anyzhing anymore," he said. "All I know eez I have to go to Casablanca tomorrow afternoon to receive zhose perfumes zhe shop wants."

"Perfume shops are strange," said Nancy. "I can't see why zhe boss and heez two employees can't go togezher."

"I don't know eizher," said Pepe who felt the hurt feeling in him slowly heal because of his mother's kindness. He smiled a little. "I won't search anymore zhen, I'll just stay lost."

"Good, but when you're found seize eet!" said Nancy and she perched a kiss on her son's head.

It was the next afternoon that Pepe left for Casablanca after many hugs from his two youngest sisters Marie and Ann who hated him being far away.

On that same day, a cat was living in her new suite which was far across Paris from where Pepe lived singly. Penelope Pussycat was twenty and was preparing for a trip to Casablanca to meet another suitor. She couldn't remember his name, but he sounded like another crick in her neck and was thirty! Ten years older than her! He was old enough to be her father! She was dreading the trip, but she knew it was best to obey her mother's orders than go her own way.

Leonardo, her father, was there to see her off at her suite. Actually, he was the only one who was there to see her off.

"Now be careful of pickpockets," he said as he carried her suitcase for her to the lobby. "Keep your money close with you and do not go out far on your own. Do not let stalkers or assaulters come near you."

"Papa," said Penelope. "As nervous as I am, I am looking forward to going to a new place. Now if only my suitor would not let me wear pants with my dresses since he does not want me showing of my legs."

"Silly demand," muttered Leonardo.

"I hate courting Papa," said Penelope sadly. She really did. She dreaded it all the time.

"Do not worry," reassured Leonardo. "The courting is only for a week, no more or less. If I had it my way you would not be going by yourself or going in general but you know you mother. She just wants you out of the house."

"How will I ever know if I am in love?" asked his daughter. "Will I even find love?"

"I think you will in time," said Leonardo. "You will know you are in love. Somehow you just know. Do not worry about it. Do not worry about courting. As soon as you come home you just rest and not worry for a long time. Your mother will be at of town, so she will not be bothering you."

**Casablanca**

It had been only a day since he arrived and Pepe was relieved to have the trip of his to finally stop! The perfumes were ordered and ready to be sent to Paris. Pepe, however, felt longing for a little adventure and decided to stay one extra day in Casablanca. Penelope was given a few hours of freedom from courting and went for a stroll into the city.

Casablanca was a place of intrigue and the place of two cons: Patrice and Gustave. Two skunks friends who traveled around searching for women to seduce and playing hoaxes on others. They were wanted men.

Pepe was not aware of the two men and only spent time thinking about his past. The girlfriends he had had: Jovianne, Bibiane, Ihpegenie, Odetta, Josette, Aimee, Ghislaine, Mimi, Candide, Gigi, Gidget, Clarisse, Claire (those four sisters,) Bertille, Fifi, Elise, Jeanine and Miniona had been failures.

Jovianne left him because she only liked him as a friend, and Pepe never saw her again.

Bibiane, Iphegenie and Odetta lost interest of him after a month.

Josette, Aimee, Ghislaine and Mimi broke up with him after their ex-boyfriends begged from them to give them a second chance.

Candide was more of a blind date than a girlfriend, but Pepe thought of her that whole week before the date about her so she was to him. Instead she was a chihuahua by his shock. _He vowed never to love someone who was not a skunk._

Gigi heard a rumor from Gidget that he was seeing another girl when that was not true and rudely broke up with him. Gidget had really wanted to be with him (she had started the rumor) and was mad that Pepe had thought of dating her while with Gigi. That made her mad for thinking of another woman while with her sister and threw champagne at his face in front of patrons in a café. Clarisse secretly dated him and it lasted a while until she began to like another guy. Claire was afraid of commitment and splashed wine in Pepe's face at the same café when he asked her about taking their relationship to the next step which was kissing. The sisters hated his guts after that!

Bertille was using him to cheat on to make her boyfriend jealous which almost got Pepe a punch in the eye.

Fifi and Elise he found out had lied about their ages being two young and he gently broke it to them they needed to find someone their age because twenty and fourteen did not go together. (Both girls had said they were nineteen.) They both took it hard.

Jeanine dumped him on his mother's birthday because she did not like his family. The family to her was annoying and loud. She detested his brothers and did not feel comfortable around Nancy or Henry. Anyone who did not feel comfortable around Nancy or Henry had a serious problem since the husband and wife were always good company. Pepe was extremely upset over her was that she found Marie and Ann to be bratty. She even told them that to their faces which made both little girls cry. Pepe hated seeing his little sisters to cry, so that did it! He was glad that she left him. Anyone who hated his loving family was not worth his time.

Then came Miniona, the one he thought was the most attractive woman he had ever seen. They spent so many days together kissing and going out on lazy nights. Then he found out why she was seeing him and it cut him. It smacked his heart against stone pavement.

Three years of dating and it had brought him to this: heartbreak. He was perhaps to be a bachelor forever. Those skunks (and surprising Chihuahua) had not done anything good for him. If they didn't bring him good, then who would?

Was there another pretty female out there for him? All the pretty ones left him, could there be another? Too many questions about pretty ones and other things!

With nothing else left on his mind he shook his troubles off. He ignored everything, even his mother's advice and left the hotel seeking for something exciting before he went home.

"Engarde," he said aloud to himself as he faced what was ahead of him.

Penelope left her suite on the other side of the town and walked slowly enjoying the sights. She wore a nice, white shirt, jeans and high heels boots in black. She liked being at alone, but she didn't feel safe.

In fact, Gustave had been watching her and signaled to Patrice that she was not with anyone. Gustave took a shortcut to catch her for he knew how a woman would run away.

Patrice looked at Penelope from where he was in an outdoor restaurant and was suddenly hot on her heels when she turned a corner and followed her even more closely.

Penelope heard him and felt herself grow tense. She dared to not look over her shoulder to see who it was. She may give off the wrong message if she looked over.

"A stalker," thought Penelope in fear. She trembled in fright. She walked a little faster. Patrice walked faster. "Shake him off! Get rid of him!"

Patrice could only think of the delicious figure she had under her clothes. A disgusting thought that Penelope was afraid he was thinking of.

"Going somewhere Pigeon?" he said. His voice was husky from heavy smoking and with a French accent. "I wouldn't run eef I were you."

"Please leave," said Penelope, but her voice was soft.

"You know you want to," said Patrice. He got closer to her back.

Penelope inched further away. She had heard stories about such men who ran through the streets looking for women to seduce. He was one of them. She knew it! She could smell that horrible skunk scent and then the smokiness on his breath. She did not know what he looked like, but she couldn't have cared less about that. She felt sick. She then felt faint. Why was she so weak? Why couldn't she be like other women who just gave them a sock in the eye without fear? The reason was because she was not like other women. She was shy and timid of everything.

"Zhis can be done zhe easy way or zhe hard way," said Patrice. His voice caused Penelope to quiver in fright.

"No!" she replied to him. She took off running. Patrice walked slowly behind her with his eyes on the prize.

Gustave was waiting for her a few feet ahead. He came from his hiding place with a smooth tone in his husky voice.

"Darling!" he said as if he had been searching for her. Penelope dodged away, but Gustave lifted her up into his arms. She squirmed and tried screaming. No one could hear or see her in that part of the alley ways and also Gustave had cupped one hand over her mouth. The other now let go of her and was placed over her chest, feeling the two figures under. Penelope felt like crying. This just couldn't be happening! She was going to get hurt by two thugs and become an outcast to her family. She wanted her father there to protect her.

"Papa," her heart cried in fear and longing. "Help me please! Save me!" It was no use. Penelope could have sworn a few tears began to form in her black eyes. How she wanted to be at Paris where she was safe. She wished she was little girl again, safe in her house with Leonardo reading a book to her while she sat on his lap while drinking water in her little teacup. It seemed like her childhood flashed before her eyes.

Then Patrice finally came up with an object in his hand. A knife.

"Eef you don't do what we say," he said gruffly. "We weell put you out of your meesery." He put the flat side of the knife close to her chest. Penelope couldn't breathe from fear. Gustave roughly pushed her against the wall.

"Here's how eet goes," he said. "You do what we say and you'll leeve to tell zhe tale." Patrice got close to her now and ran a hand along her side then up under her shirt.

Penelope flinched away. She only wished someone would save her now! Anyone! Anyone who was a kind enough to help her would have helped. No. Not one person came to her aid. Not even a kind stranger.

"Don't fuss," said Patrice. Penelope still continued to flinch.

"Let go of me," she said. She continued to move around in the barricade of Gustave's arms and Patrice's filthy hands. She now felt angry. Angry that couldn't win her way out of this situation or anything else in her life!

Suddenly she punched Gustave (by accident) causing him to step back in pain. Penelope ran as soon as she saw the moment.

Patrice growled in anger at her and his partner in crime.

"C'mon!" he snapped at Gustave. They both ran after her again. Penelope thankfully had a head start. She dared to not look back. She only ran forward not caring where she was heading. Her heart raced in her chest and she nearly lost her breath. She couldn't stop now! She had to be in a far proximity. She had been told skunks were lustful and not trustworthy. Well, she had been proved right! Her mother had been right and Penelope had been kind enough to not think of anyone that way before. Now she felt fright of the certain creatures.

She was so far ahead of Gustave and Patrice that she didn't notice how far she had run. She was practically on the other side of the town. Then it happened.

She looked over her shoulder for the first time and saw no one. Relief swept through her, but she didn't stop running. She couldn't bring herself to a halt and then…

She smacked into someone. She felt in the quick second that the someone she ran into was taller than her and that familiar musk she had escaped from returned to her nose. The worst part? It was another male. She went backward from her balance and her eyes shut from the fall. Whoever else it was fell on top of her, but moved off of her quickly. Penelope was scared again and opened her eyes. She sat up, but propped her hands under her. She looked to see him.

He was a skunk to her fear. Yet, a cleaner one compared to the other two. Clad in dark jeans and a loose blue jacket with a red shirt underneath. His shoes were black Keds with the white soles scuffed. He was leaning back, propped by his elbows, but his posture was good as if he had a coat hanger keeping him straight. His tail was black, long with a white stripe, then another stripe in black running in the white. His eyes were black yet deep. His arms appeared long, yet a little thick, but they were not packed with muscles. From what Penelope could tell about his frame was that he was tall and for sure a thin and long torso was hidden under his shirt. He was perhaps her age. His hair was black and white on top with snags. His chest heaved slowly up and down from losing his breath from the hit. There was something attractive about him, but Penelope could not figure out what it was.

For a minute they both locked eyes in shock from the surprise hit. They're mouths partly open in surprise. Then Penelope felt afraid of skunks again and dashed up and ran. The skunk looked over his shoulder and she ran, still with the same expression on his face. There was something about that girl he couldn't stop thinking about. She mesmerized him.

She was a delicate cat. She had a white with black face giving her face a slim appearance. Her eyes were black like a night sky without stars. Her tail was long and completely black. Her body reminded him of a rose, soft, sweet, lovely and needed to be handled gently. Her eyelashes like an ocean wave over her eyes. She was beautiful. That was the only adjective that came to his head. He had never described a woman that way before.

Still there on the ground and breathing heavily he wondered why she had caught his attention. He slowly got up and walked in the same way she had run. He came to a village square where he saw her again. She was wet from a barrel of water she had collapsed into. She was shivering and panting. She looked like she was crying. Two women were helping her up and putting their coats on her. Some were staring at Penelope.

That same skunk she ran into leaned against walls of a building and looked at her. He felt compassionate for her embarrassment and had a feeling she had been running away from a trouble of hers.

Now she looked at him again. She couldn't take her eyes off of him in fear that he was planning to get her like those two cons had tried to do.

She glanced away from him and hoped to never see him again. The last thing she needed was another trouble about a male, especially if he was a total opposite of her own kind. She did not even want to know his name or where he was from.

"Poor girl," said Pepe to himself with a fondness in his voice. He felt a deep sympathy for the girl he had never seen before. He didn't even know her name. However, a strange feeling in him that he couldn't describe or yet understand came over him. Maybe it wasn't love or perhaps it was. Certainly an awaked fondness tinged his heart that was frozen from grief and caused it to be warm once again. Only this time it would grow greater and stronger than any other emotion or feeling he ever felt for someone.


	2. One More Glance that Leads to Romance

I do not own Pepe or Penelope

Here is a chapter to give some respect to the short _Carrotblanca_ where Pepe and Penelope were seen together. Is it strange to think that Louis (Pepe's character) and Kitty (Penelope's) should have been together instead of Kitty with Bugs?! Ugh, my weird mind! Next chapter is **very important**; it's where it all happens!!

_**Chapter Two **_

_**One More Glance that leads to Romance **_

Pepe lay on his hotel bed and stared at the ceiling. That girl kept coming back to his head, yet he did not know why. She kept on coming back to his mind like an image from a surprise.

"I wonder eef I'll ever see her again?" he thought aloud.

He would.

It was that night at a café where Penelope was. Her suitor, George Cole, was there dominating over her.

"Do not order the fish here Miss Pussycat," he said. "You will have food poisoning. Order the salad."

Penelope nodded. Then she listened to his dull conversation of his family line from San Francisco and how he wanted Penelope to live there with him.

That's when Pepe came in. In a nice blue shirt and a navy blue coat which clashed a little with his black pants. He lazily leaned on the counter with a shot glass of cognac. Cognac was gross to him, but Pepe felt like having something different. Then he heard a yell among the softness of people talking and dishes clinging.

"Where is the good service?!!" yelled George. People stared at the brown cat in his ridiculous white suit with a lavender tie.

Pepe had to hide his laughter behind his sleeve from the sight of George's suit. Then he stopped laughing because she was there.

The cat with her luxurious black tail. She was wearing dainty silver flats with a light pink dress that stopped and flowed at her knees. She looked at the menu as George huffed off into the kitchen to yell at the waiters.

Pepe knew it was wrong to barge in on dates, but he couldn't help himself with wanting to meet the cat. He got from the bar, glass in hand and walked slowly to her table that was covered with a white tablecloth.

"Well, your date eez noisy," he said casually at her side. Penelope was startled by the voice.

"You?" she said in surprise and in fear. She saw the skunk with who was swishing the drink in the glass casually. She remembered him. Penelope's mind was frazzled from her near raping and thought that Pepe was part of it and would have gotten her sooner or later.

"What?" said Pepe simply.

"Will you just leave me please," said Penelope timidly. "I have had a bad day already."

"Cause of your date?" said Pepe with a smirk.

"No," said Penelope somewhat offended, but that was part of her bad day.

Pepe took the rose from the vase on her table and put it between his teeth.

"I guess your date eez not so romanteec yes?" he said and twirled the rose a little before taking from his teeth which Penelope noticed were perfectly straight and white compared to George's crooked smile that was tobacco stained.

"Really," she said almost begging. "Just please do not bother me with my date. I hate dating."

Pepe respectfully moved away from her, only to sit at a table that was next to her. He sat in the lone chair with his back facing her back. The chairs were so close he could feel her tail brush against his which was an accident, but he took it as a movie of being flirty.

Penelope turned around to see it he had left, but she only saw Pepe's face again. His arm leaning over the chair with his chin resting on it and a charming look greeted her eyes.

Penelope felt hot and turned her head away. She put her hands to her cheeks to cool them since her hands were cold. They were sitting under the air vent.

"You look pretty," said Pepe feeling that she didn't feel good. She didn't feel good and the compliment only scared her.

"Thank you, but I am not that pretty," she said.

Pepe felt sorry to hear her say that.

"I zhink you are," he said and turned around in his chair so that he sat on his knees.

Penelope faced him again. She looked at his eyes and felt a rush of fear and curiosity. Someone said she was pretty. That was some of a first.

She grew afraid again of what had almost happened that day and scooted her chair forward. Pepe scooted his chair closer with his foot against the floor. She did it again. He did it again. The screeching of the chairs was loud and the others eyed them madly. Penelope could feel his hot breath on her neck which made her cheeks feel hot again.

"Stop that please," she said.

"You know you like eet," said Pepe trying to cheer her up.

"Penelope," said George as he came out of the kitchen. Pepe faced forward at his small table.

"Come on let us go back to the hotel," said George.

"We did not even eat yet," said Penelope. "George I am hungry."

"Be quiet," said George who didn't really care for Penelope.

"George can we just have some biscuits?" said Penelope a pleading in her tone. People began to notice George's behavior.

"No!" he snapped. "Now come on!"

"Really George do not take this the wrong way but you are being silly."

"Silly?!" George threw his glass of water on her dress to shut her up. Penelope did not shut up even though people were looking at them yet again!

"I am sorry to say it that way."

"Just shut up!"

"Listen George I am hungry and I ask that you be patient with the service here-"

George suddenly reached out and slapped Penelope's bare arm which stunned her and made Pepe turn his head with his mouth wide open in horror. He had never seen a man treat a woman that way before in his whole lifetime. Penelope rubbed where she had been slapped and her lips began to quiver.

George grabbed her hand roughly and pulled her out of the café.

Pepe's eyes narrowed at George. If he had been that girl's date he would have been kinder to her. Then he smiled a little when he saw Penelope turn her head with an apologetic look on her face to the ones who witnessed the event.

"She eez pretty," said Pepe and rested his chin into his hands as he watched her fade away into the night. He still didn't even know her name.


	3. How Sentimental

I do not own Pepe or Penelope (or Keds, but you should know that.)

I do own Aurelie Laurent and Coligny Dax and Penelope's family. This was not easy to write, so I apologize if anything is out of character Looney Tunes-wise.

_**Chapter Three **_

"_**How Sentimental." **_

Penelope was escorted back to Orleans in tears by her father after she told him how rudely her suitor had treated her. She was too afraid to tell him about her near experience of being used. This was not too surprising for anyone who actually experienced such pain. Even Penelope did not go through with it; she did have the affects of her frightful call.

She even had nightmares about those two thugs and what they could have done. She would sometimes end up screaming out loud because in her dream she would be screaming.

To get over her fright Penelope stayed in her suite everyday, but on Saturdays she would venture out a little to remind herself that it shouldn't keep her back from her life.

On one Saturday she went into a perfume shop and it was there that her whole life would change.

The perfume shop was empty of customers and employees except for two. One who had her or his feet propped up on the cashier counter in jeans and had a newspaper covering most of them. The shoes were messy Keds with one lace loose. The other was a light brown rabbit with a nose ring on her left nostril and was wearing a red and black mini dress with ankle boots in black. She was cutting out coupons to buy food with.

"You want somezhing?" she asked. She sounded crabby.

Penelope was about to answer, but the girl cut her off.

"Just look around zhere's not too much to see." Then the girl polished her name tag which read her first and last name: "Aurelie Laurent."

Penelope shook her head and went to the far part of the little shop where there was a glass case that was empty, an empty counter and a few shelves of perfume. Penelope sprayed on the samples, but there was nothing that she liked.

"Aurelie! Pepe! You two knuckleheads what are you doing?!" thundered a voice.

Penelope turned around fast and saw a short little man with red hair and a moustache come in. He wore a business suit and carried a briefcase full of papers. Penelope could not really see the employees because the shop was basically two rooms and the walls blocked the employees from where she stood.

There was a thud of someone falling out of a chair, 100% it was the other employee who fell down. Aurelie shot up from her place and shoved the coupons away from her with her foot.

"You two no good sardines!!" yelled the man. His name was Coligny Dax, a perfume maker and seller. Yet, his business was not good because he was going broke.

Penelope turned around to mind her own business. She did not see the employees get their daily and boring lecture about their laziness from Coligny. She did not even understand what he said since he was yelling in French. Then she heard another thud, because Pepe had lazily sat back in the chair and Coligny had jerked the chair out from under him.

"Ah," said Coligny suddenly in a pleasant tone. He saw Penelope. "Mademoiselle, see anyzhing you like?"

"No," said Penelope politely. "I am just looking."

"Oh well, you should try zhis one, Snow Blossoms." said Coligny. "Zhis eez a perfume all zhe way from Casbah. You seemply pour eet on after you bathe for a fresh scent. Don't ask me why you put eet on after you bathe, my jerk of an employee Pepe was told to tell me."

Pepe turned around to give a nasty glare at Coligny when his heart nearly stopped. There she was, the same girl he saw in Casablanca. In a pretty red blouse, black high heels and black skirt she was right there with Coligny trying to sell the product he had mentioned.

"What are you looking at?" demanded Aurelie.

"What?" he said.

"Zhat femme fatale?" asked Aurelie. "Eet's like my granny would say, 'How sentimental.' She leeved een San Diego, California you know."

"Well, she eez an attracteeve woman," said Pepe eyeing the cat.

"Maybe, I've seen better," said Aurelie. "When I mean better, I mean me."

Pepe felt defensive from that comment. Like he should make Aurelie apologize for her rudeness. Why did he feel that way?

"Here," said Aurelie scooting a big box to him with her free foot after she sat down on a lone chair to cut out her coupons some more. "Coligny weell want you to take zhat to zhe storage closet."

Pepe kicked the box away several times to move it to the closet and missed the girl pay for the _perfume_ and leave the shop in the process.

It was about ten minutes later that Coligny who hated having red hair spoke up:

"Has anyone seen my hair dye bottle?"

It was only an hour later, around eleven-thirty when Penelope came back to the store. With fright and shock all over her face.

Aurelie looked at her oddly and realized she had seen her before.

"Oh my!!" she gasped at what she understood.

Penelope was in a red t-shirt and blue jeans in her black flats, but she was a little damp. The shocker? A white stripe was on her tail!!

It started from the back of her head, down her neck, down her back and to her tail. She had gone back to her suit and took a quick shower and poured the _perfume_ down her back before getting dressed. The dye had quickly set in once poured on.

Penelope looked like she was about to cry as she looked at Aurelie.

"Oh don't worry," stammered Aurelie. "Eet'll wash out for sure."

"No eet won't!!" cried Coligny a few minutes later. "That hair dye eez permanent!! Eet won't wash out!! Why do you theenk I got zhat hair dye for me? I hate my hair color!"

Penelope trembled in fear. She was worrying about what her family would say especially her mother!

"May I go off to cry somewhere?" she asked with a sob starting in her throat.

"Of course," said Coligny gently. "Just don't let Pepe see you. He goes mad over skunk women!"

"She doesn't look too much like one," said Aurelie. As sorry as Coligny and Aurelie felt for Penelope they were hungry and left for a lunch break.

Penelope sat in the glass case which she could fit perfectly into and shed tears. This was the worst thing that could happen to her!

Pepe, who had run home shortly after Penelope had first left to take Joan, his little sister, to her soccer practice, came back. The shop was so quiet and lonesome to him. He wandered into the part of the shop that Penelope was at. On the counter was a bottle that was white, he sniffed it and coughed. The smell was too strong for him. Penelope heard him coughing and shivered it was him! When she saw the nametag on his white t-shirt she grimaced. Figures he had to be here! She felt her emotions crumble upon her again and she sniffed. She could smell suddenly his skunk like scent which made her want to stay in the glass case more.

Pepe heard the sniff. The girl was in the glass case with her knees drawn up to her chest.

"What are you doing in zhere?" asked Pepe who had never seen a person in a glass case before. He knelt in front of it to look at her.

"Back off!" said Penelope. She didn't mean to sound mean, but she was upset with her chaotic events.

"Oh come out," said Pepe. "You'll suffocate een zhere."

Penelope shook her head. Pepe tried reasoning with her as if she was one of his sisters.

"Please come out. I'll give you a hug." It sounded comforting to him, but insulting to Penelope who answered back.

"No! I'm staying in here!"

"You come out!"

"No way!"

"Why?"

"Because you are annoying and you stink!"

"Me?!"

That was the spat between the two and then Pepe stood up went behind the case and kicked the wall hard to startle Penelope. It worked! It sounded like a gunshot to her and she knew glass was not safe around guns. She slid the door open and ran out and up the stairs where Coligny sometimes lived in when he was not with his mistress.

Pepe followed her up. She slammed the bedroom door and locked it. She was glad door knobs came with locks. Pepe on the other side rolled his eyes and gripped the door frame with his fingers and heaved himself up. The window over the door was pushed open and he crawled in.

"Come darleeng," he said. He didn't mean to call her darling it just sounded better than "Miss." "Act like a grown-up here, what eez your problem."

Penelope scooted away from him.

"Wait a meenute!!" said Pepe noticing her tail. "Weren't you hear weeth a-"

"I was, it is hair dye!" said Penelope quickly so Pepe would leave her. "Here is my receipt!" She tossed the crumpled paper at Pepe who easily caught it.

"Penelope Pussycat?" he said. He smiled at her. "Your name eez Penelope? What a lovely name for a lovely lady!"

Penelope felt flattered and nervous and leaned against the open window.

"I zhink you look nice weeth zhat stripe," said Pepe getting closer to her. Finally he was near enough to her. "You should learn to like eet."

Penelope immediately thought about jumping out the window to escape.

"Well I will not learn to like it." said Penelope. She got ready to climb out the window, but Pepe reacted fast and grabbed hold of her arms.

"What are you doing?!" he asked. "You can't be zhat upset!"

Penelope jumped up on the window ledge and Pepe did the same. Then Penelope lost her balance and fell down with Pepe after her since he had been holding on to her. He let go of her arms and fell down the short drop into a crate of blue paint cans. Blue paint splattered his clothes, his hair, face, arms and tail. He crawled out of the crate and shook himself. Penelope poked her head out from the rain barrel she had hit. She was drenched and sneezed. The water was very cold.

Aurelie had just passed by with her lunch in a takeout box.

"Should I know what happened?" she said thinking something scandalous had been going on and they had both taken a tumble from it. "Oh you poor mademoiselle!"

Aurelie had noticed that Penelope was shivering. Pepe grasped on her hands and pulled her out. Penelope shrieked as she was being lifted out and was nearly held bridal style by Pepe who gripped at her waist to lift her free from the barrel.

Aurelie looked sadly at Penelope.

"I guess zhat eez permanent." Penelope saw that the new stripe had not washed off and she felt hot tears form. Then she ran down the street covering her face with her hands.

Stunned Pepe watched her go. Aurelie glared at him as if he done something wrong. Then Aurelie went back into the shop to eat.

Pepe just stood there as the paint clung to him and even ran off from his fingertips.

He knew her name, Penelope. What a beautiful ring that name had.

His thoughts were shattered from Coligny who had just got back and saw him.

"Clean off before you come back," he ordered briskly.

Pepe did. Once at home he scrubbed the paint over his kitchen sink. Since he was not completely covered in paint there was no need to take a full shower. As he scrubbed the paint off of his arms he thought of Penelope.

In the meanwhile she was back at her suite taking another shower to scrub out the stripe.


	4. Sentimental Waltzing

I do not own Pepe or Penelope (I don't own Juliet either!)

I do own their families

In case you are wondering what Pepe Le Pew episode this is inspired from it is "_The Sentimental Romeo." _I do not own any Looney Tunes episodes. These chapters are inspired from the cartoons to stay true to Looney Tunes.

_**Chapter Four **_

_**Sentimental Waltzing **_

Penelope angrily slammed the bottles on her bathroom counter. Only two days ago a stripe discolored her luxurious tail to be black with a white stripe. Distressed by her chaotic event she ran around buying all the shampoos and soaps she could find. Nothing helped. She even tried vinegar and salt water, yet every time she rinsed it off, the stripe remained.

She was trying again that day with a shampoo made from special berries. Yet, the result was still the same. She still hadn't told her family about her problem. She wanted to fix and solve her trouble by herself.

However, failing to clean off the dye, she left her suite to get some fresh air. She looked around her shoulders carefully for Pepe Le Pew. She hadn't seen him since she ran away from the perfume shop, but she remained cautious.

Finally, she came to a small park. She passed by a woman pushing her baby in a stroller and a man sitting on a park bench reading a book. She went towards the shade of a tree and sat down. The soft brushed against her legs since she was wearing a dress. Her favorite dress too: it was the dress she wore on her date in Casablanca where Pepe first talked to her. She leaned back against the tree trunk and wished she had more comfortable shoes to walk around in. Her black high heels were hurting her.

"As long as I stay aware of Pepe," she said to herself. "I am safe." Her stomach softly growled.

"Safe and hungry," she said. She rolled her eyes at her bad timing of eating. She felt too tired to get up so she stayed there. She stretched her arms out and felt something.

It felt soft and a little dry. She turned her head to see and sandwich right there in the grass. It was on a paper towel and seemed to have been forgotten.

Penelope looked around. No one was picnicking close. Without even thinking about who owned it, she picked it up and bit into it. It was a strong cheese (blue cheese for sure,) and tuna. It tasted strange and delicious all at once. So she bit into it again. The mixed flavors filled her mouth and she smiled.

Little did she know though that Pepe was on the other side of the tree where he had dozed off after eating one of his two sandwiches. He was now awake and sat up stretching his arms out. He turned to where his sandwich had been before. It was gone.

He got on his knees to search for it and was going around the tree. Penelope had just finished swallowing her second bite when she smelled a familiar aroma. She turned in horror to her right and nearly bumped heads with Pepe.

"Oh Mademoiselle Penelope," he said politely seeing her and remembering her name.

Penelope only looked at him with wide eyes in shock. HOW??!!

How did he find her?! What was he a cop?! It seemed like a dance how he seemed to be one step ahead of her. This was the fourth meeting of theirs.

"What do you want?" she cried. "Money? I can get you money!"

"You're here like I am," said Pepe who seemed to understand what she said. "We just keep meeting no?" He smiled at her which made Penelope feel a rush in her stomach. It was caution.

She dropped the sandwich and ran off. Pepe looked at her confused.

"Oh, zhere's my sandweech." He said. He wrapped it in its paper towel and put it in his brown leather jacket pocket. With a feeling of interest he followed Penelope.

Penelope had stopped to rest at a brick wall and catch her breath. Pepe stood behind her and she leaned against the wall.

"I don't zhink eet's a good idea to run een high heels," he said which startled Penelope.

"Well," said Penelope trying to shake him off somehow. "I do not dance so I run instead!"

"Dance?" asked Pepe. "Well, you do seem to be zhe stay eenside type. Do you know how to waltz?"

"No I do not," said Penelope. She walked briskly away to one building with Pepe still behind her.

"I can teach you," he said. "My mom taught me how."

"Good for you," said Penelope quickly.

Pepe took a tooth pick from his pocket and placed it between his teeth. He got in front of her and got close to her. Penelope turned away, but Pepe took hold of her hand. Penelope felt hot again in the face. His hand felt smooth and gentle with her hand in his. He drew her close. His light blue shirt and dark wash jeans were crisp against her dress and she saw he had a red kerchief tied around his neck which he had gotten from his mother as a birthday present. He took a few steps forward. Penelope felt desperate to break loose and pressed herself against him to push him back. A few steps back they went and she picked up a stick from a crate of logs and smacked his arm. She didn't mean to hurt him. Apparently she didn't because he smirked at her.

"Flirt." He said with a charmingly smile. Penelope backed away and then ran for home. Pepe followed her wanting to know where she lived.

She led him to her suite where the complex was only open to those who had the a key or were let inside by someone who lived there. Penelope took her key out of her purse and opened the door. Pepe halted once she was in side and looked for her name on the call list. He found it and looked awkwardly and surprised at her last name which he didn't know.

"_Pussycat_?" he said in surprise. "Penelope Pussycat?"


	5. Fight at the Louvre

I do not own Pepe or Penelope (it's also obvious I don't own the Louvre either!) or the cartoon "Louvre come back to me" which this chapter is inspired from.

I do own suitor Clarence Howard.

_Author's Note: Flower meanings are in here: geranium means "stupidity," white hyacinth means "loveliness," euphorbia milli means "persistence," and white camellia means "You're adorable." Found it on the Web. Very interesting. It ends with a cliffhanger so hold on a little bit. _

_**Chapter Five **_

_**Fight at the Louvre **_

Clarence Howard strode broadly to the suite of Penelope. He had a huge bouquet of geraniums in clear wrapping and wore a tweed suit. His brown eyes were loud about boasting about his popular heritage and about himself. His heritage was merely that his parents could speak four languages: Irish, French, Portuguese and English. He would never tell what his heritage was; he just said it was popular to get people to notice him.

Clarence was a dusty brown cat with no politeness to others and found it fun to put down others. He found Penelope to be very attractive and had agreed to court with her.

When he got to the door of the suite with the number reading #17 he pounded on the door with eagerness.

"I am coming," called Penelope. She had just finished pressing on of her skirts which she hung up in her closet. She wore a red dress with a string of pearls. She slipped on some matching pumps and hurried to open the door.

Clarence put on his best smile when the door opened.

"Good morning my dear," he said. Penelope smiled.

"Good morning Clarence," she said politely. "Oh, thank you for the flowers."

Clarence placed them in her hands gracefully and let himself in.

"I thought I would take you to the Louvre," he said.

"That sounds lovely Clarence," said Penelope as she put the geraniums on the small kitchen counter.

It was only an hour later that the two cats were inside the Louvre. Penelope was admiring the artwork, but Clarence was admiring something else.

The whole time he was walking behind Penelope to watch her walk. He grinned with lust when she had turned her head away from him so he could view her chest. He thought about the money her family had and how he would feel rolling in a carpet of money. Once he had married Penelope and the honeymoon was over he would take the cash and split. That was his plan. If only he could move it faster along.

They had both stopped to look at one painting that Penelope thought was just beautiful when Clarence leaned his head to view her backside. Something caught his eye.

In the huge room were two benches to sit on and a skunk was sitting on the one nearest to him. He was looking at him suspiciously. Clarence turned to the painting quickly. He looked again to see the skunk looking curiously at Penelope.

Clarence slipped an arm around Penelope's waist which made Penelope feel awkward. She wanted to move away.

"Clarence," she said facing him. "Might I go look at one particular painting real fast before we head off?"

"Of course darling," said Clarence. "I will stay here and rest my feet on the bench if that is fine with you."

"Sure." said Penelope cheerfully. Then she hurried out and saw out of the corner of her eye Pepe Le Pew.

Pepe had gone to the Louvre that morning to take a break from the perfume shop. He had called in sick and had ditched for the day. He was surprised to see Penelope there and felt like he should have apologized for startling her the a few days before.

He saw Clarence now looking at him fiercely. There was no one else in the room.

"What are you doing?" said Clarence getting close to him.

"What?" asked Pepe.

"Making eyes at my honey bun," said Clarence. "She is meant to be with me."

"Oh oui," said Pepe sarcastically. "You make a lovely couple. She's oblivious of your lust and you have some sort of fantasy about her and nozhing else."

"Do not call her 'oblivious,'" demanded Clarence.

"She eez," said Pepe standing up. Clarence realized now that Pepe was an inch and a half taller than him. "She eez innocently obliviously off you're ideas."

"Why do you care?" asked Clarence.

"I was raised to be a gentleman," said Pepe.

"How about you go home and be protective of your younger sister or something."

"I would because I have four of zhem, because of zhat I care for women."

"I will tell you something."

Clarence glared into the skunk's black eyes.

"You will never be with Penelope!!"

Pepe felt hurt for some reason that he did not understand.

"Why?" he said with a tone of hate.

"She would never go for someone like you," said Clarence with a snort. "You are not rich by the looks of it. You are lower class, she is upper class. She hates skunks. She is so timid and a nervous wreck that she will not have one clue of what is going on. I dress properly while you-" He eyed Pepe's attire as if was vomit. "Dress like a scattered brain child. You and your denim jacket, wrinkled jeans and loose shirt. Also, those shoes! I hate those shoes! Black high-tops are so juvenile."

Pepe's eyes narrowed. Clarence continued.

"She will never be in your arms! The only man she will be in the arms of is me!!!!"

His last word sounded like a door that was shut with a loud bang. Then Clarence took out a glove of his that he wore when it was cold, made out of leather, and slapped it in Pepe's face.

Pepe's nose scrunched up at the sudden pain since that was where the blow really hit him. He lost control of his calmness and smacked Clarence in the face. Clarence held his cheek in pain.

"You are certainly not worthy of her!!" was his response.

Pepe said nothing at the moment. Thinking that he had won Clarence walked out of the room. Then he heard the quick pace of Pepe.

"Eef you hurt her een any way," said Pepe almost nose to nose. "She had a shoulder to cry on and zhat's mine. Both shoulders as a matter of fact."

Pepe walked off and out of the Louvre for home. If it had been old fashioned, he would have challenged him to a duel.

That evening nothing went right for Clarence. He had bought a romantic dinner for Penelope and offered her some wine. Penelope was not into drinking of anything that could cause on to go drunk, but she politely had a sip.

At her suite Clarence tried to make a move. Penelope was about to go into her suite when he grabbed hold of her at the waist and leaned into to kiss her.

Penelope felt afraid of the sudden advancement and pushed him away.

"Clarence," she said gently. "This is too fast."

"No it is not." said Clarence. His breath smelling of blue cheese hit her nose. She coughed at the stink in his mouth. "Come one Penelope, it would be a great way to end the day by having some fun." He wiggled his eyebrows at the last word.

Penelope's heart beat in shock and fright. Just when she felt he was not a bad guy, he had to pressure her.

Penelope pushed him back and she broke into her apartment. She latched the door shut and leaned against the wall in fright. How could this be happening? Men coming after her for money or other things were not good to her.

She still felt shock from the event the next day. She had just finished a breakfast of poorly made pancakes when she decided to take a shower. Maybe she could get rid of that stripe again.

She was starting to get out of her pajamas when she heard the intercom buzz. Only in her very long night dress that was hot pink with lace that stopped above her knees she went to answer it.

"Yes?" she asked.

"You probably don't remember my name, but I'm-"

"What do you want Pepe?" she gasped timidly.

"Can I come up?" asked Pepe.

"No!" said Penelope. "I am busy right now. I really do not want to see anyone right now."

She waited for him to answer back. She heard nothing. So she went back to changing. There was a knock on her door. She slipped back on her night dress and a bathrobe of hers. She hurried to the door and looked through the peephole. She saw Pepe holding a bouquet of white camellias, white irises and pink euphorbia milli.


	6. Scent With Affection

I do not own Pepe or Penelope

I do own the Le Pew family

_**Chapter Six **_

_**Scent with Affection **_

Penelope gasped in shock as she turned her head away from the peephole that she had just looked through. She felt an urge to yell out into Pepe's face for annoying her, but she was not a rude person. She had her father to thank for that. So she decided to keep the lock on the door and open up only as far as the lock would go.

"Yes?" she said with a small smile. Pepe stood there for a second looking dumbfounded. He looked at her smile. It was a small smile, but it was the first time he had seen her smile.

"You steell have zhe stripe," he asked. Penelope held her head down. "Well, maybe you should try vegetable oil."

"Do you want something," asked Penelope.

"I found your suite and zhought of geeving you some flowers," he said gently. He smiled warmly at her which made Penelope feel strange. With that smile he seemed much nicer than her past suitors.

"Oh!" said Penelope seeing the flowers. She felt flattered. Besides that, the flowers were much prettier than the ones she already had. The geraniums looked sick to her. "Listen, I was getting ready for my day and I cannot waste anytime. I apologize for my rushing, but just put the flowers down and I will get them later."

"Why not just take zhem?" asked Pepe and held them out for her. Penelope bit her lower lip which revealed her lovely straight teeth that were like Pepe's.

"Sure," she said awkwardly. She carefully freed the latch lock and then faster than Pepe could grasp in his mind she had whisked the flowers from his hand and shut the door. She pressed her back against it to barricade Pepe away. Then she opened the door a tiny bit.

"Thank you," she said. She shut the door again. Pepe stood there for a moment wondering why she had acted so. Maybe she had been spending time with her date from the day before. Feeling content that he had given her a lovely bouquet of flowers out of innocent affection Pepe went to his job at the perfume store.

It was at home he first told about Penelope, though he never said her name.

"So you're telling me," said Diego who had no French accent from his ignorance. "This beautiful girl smacked into you in Casablanca and you are "mesmerized" by her."

Pepe sat at the small table while his parents put his younger sisters to bed. His brothers were fixing him and themselves some coffee.

"I would say you are smeetten," said Shamus. "You really like her."

"I wouldn't say zhat," said Pepe who wasn't certain about how he felt.

"Pepe," said Louis, who was eighteen and brilliant. "You are fasceenated by her. You don't know much about her, but you want to know about her. Right?"

"I just theenk zhat she needs to be looked after," said Pepe. "You should have seen how rude zhat cat was to her een zhe restaurant and at zhe Louvre how zhat ozher one was just trying to get too cozy. I feel bad zhat she's seeing such fools."

"Zhen look after her," said Louis sitting down next to him. "I theenk you are also trying to recuperate from your broken heart from your last break up weeth her by feeling such emotions for her."

"I'm okay about zhat now," said Pepe.

"Zhis must be huge," said Shamus putting his empty mug away in the sink. "I've never heard you call a woman "beautiful" before."

Pepe knew he felt some sort of feeling towards Penelope, he didn't know why. He decided to sleep on his thoughts that were confusing that night. It only stirred more trouble for his brain. He had a weird dream that he was in a deodorant factory.

Penelope had stayed in her suite the whole day and actually used vegetable oil to wash out the stripe. It didn't help. It only lubricated her tail causing a bit of a shine that lasted for a few hours. As she still struggled with her problem, the bouquet Pepe gave her sat in a glass vase on her counter.


	7. The Scent of Grapes

I do not own Pepe or Penelope

Based off of the cartoon "Heaven Scent" with the grapes, fish, singing, vive saying and blocked tunnel.

_**Chapter Seven **_

_**The Scent of Grapes**_

Penelope didn't see or hear from Pepe for a month after he had given her the flowers. In fact, she didn't even court for awhile. So she felt it was safe enough to travel out to the country for a weekend for herself. She went down to Boudreaux to take a tour of the old wine factories.

With it being a clear day nothing could have gone wrong. Or so she thought. She had just eaten a luxurious meal of fresh caught fish when she wet strolling among the green hills. Afterwards she wandered towards the vineyards. She inhaled the sweet air which then smelled strong of something else. Like something burnt and strong garlic. She shook her head in disgust. She turned around to see leaning against the stake of the vines with a sly look in his black eyes…Pepe.

"Well, well," he said with his arms across his chest and one ankle crossed over the other. "What are you doing down here?"

Penelope was surprised and then horrified.

"Just visiting," she said quickly. She walked off.

"Getting anyway from zhose annoying boyfriends?" Pepe asked as he looked at his black hidden fingernails.

Penelope felt hot by that. She felt a little insulted by that too.

"I do not have any boyfriends!" she said sharply.

"You don't have to snap," said Pepe defensively. "Just out of curiosity."

Penelope walked away towards the buckets of grapes. Pepe followed her out of his interested trance and even swiped a heap of grapes into his hand.

"Grape?" he asked holding out the small bunch to her. Penelope only thought about the movies were a woman feeds grapes seductively to a man. She shook her head.

"More for me," he said to himself and bit the grapes right off of the tiny vine they were connected too. Penelope felt disgusted.

"I will have to be going home tomorrow," she said thinking that would make him leave her alone.

"Well, don't take zhe tunnel up zhe road." Advised Pepe. "Eet's blocked off."

"That is the only way home!" shouted Penelope. Pepe jumped back in surprise by her shout.

"Guess you stuck here." Shrugged Pepe. "I could escort you home eef you like."

"No! Penelope said quickly. "I am fine. I will stay here a little longer. In fact I have to be in my hotel room now." She walked briskly off.

Pepe who wasn't one bit offended by her quick leave watched her go. Her tail swished nervously and flowed to the side. Then he snapped out of his thoughts and put the song about strolling through a park in May in his head.

"I don't know why," he said aloud. "But she eez tres gorgeous for a cat and too gorgeous for zhose "boyfriends" of hers. Zhere too ugly for her, but vive le difference."


	8. Protecting Penelope

I do not own Pepe or Penelope

I do own Didier (which means "desire.") and residents of the hotel and all.

Based off the cartoon _Heaven Scen which does not belong to me. I mention that Pepe is strong here which he did in the same cartoon. Watch it! _

I thought about extending the last chapter a little. Pepe saves Penelope's life in a way here. How romantic! This one is very serious with a brief drug mentioning and assault. Nothing graphic as usual. Kind of will make you think twice about Pepe being a rapist which he isn't (to me.) He's just a loveable stalker.

_**Chapter Nine **_

_**Protecting Penelope **_

Penelope had dinner at the hotel's luxurious dinner room. Men eyed her lustfully seeing her beautiful form and pictured what was under her dress. Penelope was oblivious to them as she ate.

The dinner room had a small bar where fine wine and champagne was served. Many women were sitting among it drinking wine in fine glasses with their girlfriends chatting about their husbands or boyfriends. Some bottles were being sent up to rooms by waiters.

Penelope passed by it when one cat with fur as dark as rich chocolate eyed her. His eyes were green like a gem. He smiled. He was one mad lady killer. Suavely, he went up to her and whispered.

"Bonjour Mademoiselle," he said huskily. Penelope knew it wasn't Pepe. This voice was too deep to be his. She whipped around and saw the cat holding two glasses of wine.

"Wine pigeon?" he said. Penelope was hesitant in that she had never really had wine before. Yet, thinking it would make him leave her alone she took it.

"Thank you Monsieur," she said politely. What she didn't know was the wine she took would make her pass out because of a drug in it.

"Name's Didier," he said. "What's yours pigeon?"

"Penelope," she said shyly. She sipped the wine and wanted to spit it out. She swallowed it though and held her gagging reflex back.

"Eez your boyfriend weeth you?" asked Didier.

"I do not have one," said Penelope. The wine left a strange after taste on her tongue. Then it felt addictive. She sipped it again. Then again. She could hear Didier talking about something but it sounded muffled to her.

"Eet's getting zhere," he thought.

Thankfully Pepe came in for a small glass of wine. He felt tiredly physically, but couldn't get his brain to rest. Wine could make one drowsy. He had just entered when he saw the scene.

Penelope completely weak from the mysterious chemical had dropped her glass which shattered loudly. She fell forward into Didier's arms that caught her and then lifted her up bridal style.

Pepe stood in front of him. He frowned at him.

"Where are you going weeth her?" he said.

"Upstairs to my room," said Didier. "She's a _pure_bred by zhe looks of eet."

Pepe felt his protective side kick in. It usually kicked in when his little sisters were in trouble. Here it was for a lady he felt smitten by.

"Put her down," he said coldly.

"I don't zhink so Shreemp," said Didier who had hardcore abs and muscles compared to Pepe who in comparison would have been like a stick next to a log. "Back off. You can mess weeth her tomorrow eef you want."

"You're not going up weeth her," said Pepe again stepping closer to his face. Didier dropped Penelope down who hit the floor and only moaned in pain while still weak. Her dress went up a little revealing some of her legs which Didier smiled at. Pepe only looked at them in surprise.

"Nice legs," he said under his breath. He meant it as a compliment not as lusting. Lifting his eyes back up Pepe stepped over her to protect her from being lifted again. So what if Didier was tough than him by appearance? It was quality, not quantity that mattered.

Didier rolled up his coat sleeves revealing a visibly tattoo of a heart. Pepe made a fist which made Didier notice his purity ring. (The same ring Penelope would wear one day.)

"Nice jewelry," he snorted. "Eet compleements your feminine side."

"I suppose you've never heard of zhe "purity ring," have you?" asked Pepe with a threat and sarcasm in his voice. Didier shot a fist at him which Pepe easily dodged. Pepe punched him the shoulder.

Then it was a blur for everyone who witnessed the fight in that dinner room. Pepe and Didier were locked in a fight. Trying to beat up the other and then it was on the floor, rolling and hitting. Didier was feeling beaten by the skunk opponent. Pepe was stronger than he looked. He pushed him off and ran in front of Penelope to drag her away, but Pepe shoved him backwards. If Penelope had been conscience all she would have seen going past her was the up closeness of a red carpet, a pair of brown polished shoes and then black high tops moving about. Pepe had him in a head lock when the manager of the hotel came in.

"What eez going on?!" he roared. The two fighters froze up.

"He was going to hurt her," said Pepe giving Didier a shake at the shoulders.

"What?" asked the manager. He bent over Penelope who was knocked out. Then he looked at Didier coldly. "I suggest you don't go anywhere!"

Didier snarled at Pepe who still had him down on the ground.

"Zhat weell teach you too take advantage of a woman," said Pepe.

Only minutes later were there cops hauling away Didier who had abused other women before and was on the run. Penelope was carried to her room by a couple of waitresses.

Pepe stood there shaking. He felt out of breathe.

"She's very lucky to have you as a boyfriend," said one waitress who passed by him.

"I'm not," he said. "Just a friend."

"I hope she sees more een you after zhis," she said back. "You were really somezhing protecting her. She's a lucky girl. I weesh someone could have helped me when I was drugged a few years ago. At least I wasn't pregnant later on. Zhat eez rare een rape."

Pepe froze. He hated hearing that word. It didn't seem too scary before, but it did now. If Didier had taken Penelope to his room…poor her! Who knew what she would have been through?


	9. Sentimental Cinema

I do not own Pepe or Penelope (This is inspired from the short Past Perfumance with the movie theater and falling into a tub of water.) The dress Penelope wears in this chapter is based off of a dress I saw while shopping and wanted it so badly. Oh well, what I need is more important than what I want. If I couldn't have it then Penelope would.

_**Chapter Nine **_

_**Sentimental Cinema **_

Penelope had strangely felt lonesome after Pepe had given her the flowers. She felt a secret longing for companionship, a simple friend that she could confided her troubles in about her family and to laugh with. That seemed near impossible with the rate that she was incredibly shy.

"It is not my fault," she would tell to herself. Penelope hadn't been around other children during her childhood which caused her to never understand how to introduce herself or start conversations.

Feeling more want than fear of being out on her own Penelope decided to go to the movies one weekend.

It had rained a little that morning when she woke up, but Penelope felt chipper. She wore a dress she had been given to wear for courting, but felt it was too lively to wear for something for dull and depressing. It was a turquoise dress with a black sash and little white flowers scattered in it. She ironed out all of the creases the best she could. Donning on her usual black flats Penelope went to the closest theater near her complex only to be disappointed that the afternoon matinee had films that were rated "R" for violence and other things that made her feel nervous. There was one film an old black and white film about a woman who was torn between two men of her life. Since that had a safe rating for Penelope she chose that one.

Buying only some bon-bons for a treat Penelope went into the theater.

She looked around the dimmed room.

"Where are the people?" she shouted in disappointment. "To think I spent a whole hour ironing this dress!"

Not caring about if anyone would yell at her for shouting in a theater she sat in the first row and opened her box of the ice creamed candy. She didn't know that at the moment she had shouted someone had been in the theater.

Pepe had felt bored out of his mind half of the night before from endless worries about that cat nearly raping Penelope. Yes, the "R" word. Pepe hated that word. It only made him feel nauseous. The thought that some idiot would try to hurt a woman, or worse a young girl like his sisters horrified him and infuriated him. The only thing his family could think about that was:

"God help the man who does such thing to _his daughter_ if he has one!"

To help put his mind at ease of the event since Penelope had left in such a hurry the next day Pepe went to the theater to clear his head. He didn't feel very hungry so it wasn't surprise that he placed his small bag of popcorn on the floor and then clumsily tipped it over which prompted him to crawl around to clean it up. (Or rather slide it under the row of chairs in front of him.)

It was Penelope's shout that startled him and then caused him to peek out over the row of chairs to see Penelope. His heart's pulse ran a beat faster and his heads began to feel moist. Wiping them on his pockets he boldly crawled over the rows down to the front with his popcorn bag stuffed in his back pocket.

Penelope could only smell the rich chocolate smell of the bon-bons when Pepe so quickly sat a seat away from her in the row she was in. In the dim light of the movie beginning to play he could see the petite shape of her legs which criss- crossed each other.

"I don't know why," he though. "She's one of zhose women you rarely see. Zhe kind zhat you see een a forest or een a field of flowers."

Penelope was different in comparison to other girls he had known; she was modest, gentle and shy. Shy seemed like a tender quality. She didn't deserve to be among such riot-like men that Pepe had seen her with. Pepe even found himself having trouble following along with the movie because he could only lean his head back against the chair and stare at her, full of curiosity about her life, dreams, hopes, and desires. Everything just to make it short and sweet.

By this time Penelope had payed attention to the movie and found it…sappy. The big bottle blonde curly haired woman was getting on her nerves and the men weren't appealing in any way.

She wished she had a watch with her to know what time it was, but since she never found the need for one she would have to suffer through wondering how long the movie would go on.

"Ask her you idiot!!" it rang in his head. "What's zhe worse she could tell you?"

Pepe frowned at his impulsive thoughts and ignored them…for a while. It was only half an hour into the movie that Penelope had felt like she had seen the sappiest film ever and Pepe felt a sudden urge to ask her out on a date. If this counted at a date that would make his day and maybe even his bachelorhood complete.

"Just ask her!"

"I didn't know you liked zhere type of movies." He said aloud to her. He knew there was nobody else in the theater, just them.

Penelope was startled by him and screamed spilling her candy on the floor. It was a funny sight to Pepe. What Penelope did was like something he would see only in a well-written comedy. The timing of her reaction with the candy flying into the air and then scattered on the floor was just comical. Pepe snickered, but refused to crack up in concernment that she might feel offended. Penelope looked horrified by him. Her eyes went huge and she clutched the bon-bon box so hard that it caved in from her grip. Then she felt embarrassed had he heard her shout only a little while ago?

"What are you doing here?" she asked her voice almost as fast as a tape recorded being sped forward.

"Passing zhe time," he said casually and moved into the chair next to her. "I was wondering Penelope eef you would be eenterested een going out weeth me?"

"I would only date you if I had to," she said to be polite.

"I would never date him, even if he was the last man on earth!" she though hotly, but Penelope had been raised by a good father so she was not a cold hearted person.

"And I do not have to," she continued.

"Popcorn Darling?" asked Pepe holding out the crumpled and smushed bag. Penelope knocked it out of his hands thinking something bad was mixed in the snack.

"Flirt," he merely said. Penelope looked confused. Pepe rested his chin on his knuckles and his elbows on the folded armrest. Penelope noticed how thin his wrists and arms were. The sleeves of a dark purple and black plaid over shirt went halfway on his arms. Penelope shot up out of her chair as Pepe leaned to her face and moved two chairs down only to have Pepe follow her. He crawled easily over the armrests as if they were perfectly flat. Penelope scooted backwards and then turned over to scoot away realizing that he probably saw up her skirt. He didn't, he was too star-struck by her face.

Penelope found that she was on the farthest side of the theater with a door that led outside. Quick as lightning she dodged for it and Pepe went after her.

She walked quickly and Pepe walked steadily behind her. The two didn't know it, but they were walking up what they thought was a hill which was really a movie prop ramp that led to a deep tub of water for stunts.

"Now what?" he asked. Penelope turned on her heel and faced him. She felt overwhelmed of what to say of whether to be rude or kind. He was smiling at her. That smile was actually addicting. Her lips twitched, but didn't take full shape. She only looked at him and saw that he had some sort of attractiveness to him compared to others she had been with. Just decked out in tight blue jeans, an over shirt, a collared shirt of black underneath that revealed a little bit of white from his throat, with black and grey skaters he actually seemed in a way…cute?

"I have something to do and you should go your own way," she said. She turned again on her heel and walked on. Pepe still followed her, still persistent on asking her out.

"Well, weell you at consider going out weeth me?"

Penelope couldn't answer for she fell over the side of the ramp and landed in a six foot tub. The ramp wasn't very high so she didn't feel pain from her tumble. Just as she was slowly rising up from the bottom something hit her. She felt that the something was heavy and pushed her down and what felt like a jaw line and neck fit into the curve of her shoulder. A hand gripped her wrist and her feet kicked against someone's ankles. She couldn't breathe and panicked then someone lifted her up by her dress strap and she felt air kiss back into her body. Pepe had gone over the same as her and had pulled her up. Since the square like tub was as tall as he was he gripped the outside with his arm and yanked Penelope back up.

Penelope coughed and spluttered as her two hands gripped the side for dear life. A small crew was staring at them angrily.

"Get out!" yelled the director in a booming voice. Pepe heaved himself out and a small pool formed at his feet as water ran off of his clothes. Two assistants were pulling Penelope out. Penelope didn't stand up; she crumpled down and coughed harder.

"Back!" shouted Pepe pushing the assistants aside knelt to her level. Just when he was down to shake her out of it Penelope was standing.

"Thanks." That was all she could say to him. Pepe smiled at her. As he stood up Penelope felt small and fragile next to him.

"Why don't you two have your eentimate sweems somewhere else, like at night somewhere far away!!" snapped the director right in Penelope's face.

Pepe's face looked so threatening at that moment the director stepped back looking apologetic. When Pepe turned around to face Penelope, she had already ran mortified that someone thought that she and Pepe were trying to do something that frightened her.


	10. What Happens Among the Matterhorn

I do not own Pepe or Penelope or the song _Tiptoe through the Tulips_ (based off of The Scent of the Matterhorn which I don't own either.) Watch short for references and review if you please!

I own Ambrose Baxter and Pepe's and Penelope's families.

_**Chapter Ten **_

_**What Happens Among the Matterhorn **_

She had been missing for an hour and had been kindly taken care of. He gave her his jacket, even though she was not that kind to him. Why would he do such as think when she was not as gracious?

She was thinking about the evening before.

A week has passed since the movie theater incident. Penelope was visited by a new suitor (against her will, but figured it couldn't be as bad as running into Pepe.) Ambrose Baxter, the son of a journalist in California was courting her. Ambrose liked Penelope for her attractiveness, but he was somewhat annoyed by her shyness. To help her become more confident he took her on a trip to the Matterhorn to hike. Penelope was dreading it since she did not like snow that much. It seemed like whenever it had been her birthday (which was in early February,) it was too cold to be outside which kept her indoors. A few times though it had been alright enough to be outside and having some hot tea and warm cake.

After the plane ride over (in Ambrose's private jet that he had bought a year before,) Penelope gazed around at the sights of Switzerland. The mountain was gorgeous in the early morning and she felt a desire to stay outside just to stare at it. Yet, she stayed in her own expensive hotel room for most of that day reading a wedding dress book that her mother had given her. She knew what that meant; a gesture to marry Ambrose or someone that was approved! Penelope glazed her eyes over the poofy and frilly dresses to the slim and sultry ones that she knew would not go well for her.

Ambrose? Marry him? That short, round white cat, who had a gap in his teeth which made Penelope scrunch in discomfort about how it would feel to have a gap as well.

"Why do I get the least attractive ones who lust after me and never for just me?" she asked herself as she put on a light purple dress and black pumps. The shoes were pinching her feet since she had not broken in them yet, but smiling she went to join dinner that evening with Ambrose, who wore a tweed suit. Dinner was fabulous, but the walk among the nature was not so great. Penelope did not expect to walk so far along and needed to rest her feet. Ambrose let her do so and wandered back to the hotel which was close by.

Penelope found herself though wanting a freedom from Ambrose and climb up the mountain a small distance. She rested on the ground that had grass and shut her eyes. The sun was sinking low and the area around her seemed perfect. It would be for a while.

It seemed that Pepe was wherever Penelope was. Whatever it was, Pepe found it delightful to see her as that she made him feel happy, even if she was not happy to see him. On that day, he had been given the day off from babysitting his younger sisters as of that the family was their yearly trip and this destination was to the Matterhorn. It had gotten annoying for him with his jokester brother, Diego, had shoved him into a snow bank which caused the snow to stick to him and called him "The Abominable Snowman." Then he had to sing _Tiptoe through the Tulips_, (while tiptoeing along) ten times for Marie so that she would doze off at naptime. Yes, being an older brother was an exhausting job, but worth it when the baby sister gave hugs.

Wanting to have some time for himself, Pepe went off into the nature to think and be lazy. He had been wearing his thickest jeans, socks and some boots since it was a little chilly in the area he was in. (Penelope was not given a jacket because Ambrose wanted to put his coat on her to be romantic.)

He thought of Penelope and talked to himself to intrude the silence of the evening. He thought about how he read her last name from her receipt forgot her last name and then was surprised to find it on her nameplate at her suite. How could he forget? Who else's last name was Pussycat? Then the wonder about mainly her; how she behaved, her eyelashes and her long tail with the stripe. He felt sorry for her that she had one by accident, but he couldn't see what was so bad about it because he had been born with a stripe. He wondered if her running from him was out of a flirt or if she was overwhelmed by his charm. His mother if she knew might have muttered to herself'

"Just like a man; thinking he is always charming when sometimes he's not."

Pepe did not take it to heart. He thought it was from the overwhelming of his charm that she ran.

"She must resist me because I am so irresistible, but what are you going to do? Eet's bigger zhan I am."

He wanted to meet her again to know her even more, but he wasn't certain if he would since she was always on the go from him.

He once had a dream of there being acres of girls and how he felt disgusted from it. What was he thinking to have led him to that dream? He wasn't a lustful person or someone with a filthy mind thanks to being raised in a decent family.

"Acres of girls all for myself; any man's wish come true, and I can't tolerate eet."

What if something was wrong with him? Actually, nothing was, he was a gentleman, but only because he had been taught to.

Penelope by now had been dozing away from her brief hike and laid down on her stomach and felt the cool grass seep into the material of her dress. It felt refreshing and calming. She was beginning to dream when her typical chaos was freed for the day.

Pepe had walked for a few paces when he spotted her and smiled. She was here! He couldn't believe his eyes that she was there and seemed to be freezing. He was on higher ground than her which made his sight blurry. He skidded down to her and knelt at her side waiting for the beautiful femme to awake.

Penelope rolled to her back with her front side completely damp. She sighed, feeling rested. She blinked her eyes open and smiled then blinked again with shock. What was he doing here?

"What now?" she yelled seeing him. She sat up right and bumped her head against his chin causing both of them to react in quick pain.

"Why are you out here alone?" he asked shaking his head to recover.

Penelope stood up and stumbled off in the wrong direction which prompted Pepe to follow her.

"None of your business," she said shakily for she realized how cold it was. She brought her arms around her to warm her.

"You're cold," said Pepe gently. He wasn't blind; he could tell she was starting to shiver.

"I am not," she said and blew warm air into her hands to rub her arms warm.

"I can see you're shaking," said Pepe and was closer behind her. He had kept his hands shoved in his pockets for a moment to warm them. Now he freed them and lightly touched her arm. She twitched at the new warmth and did not trust the hands. They could have gone further to the right to feel something else.

"What if he does it to me out here?" she began to panic. "The headlines would say a defenseless cat raped by a mad skunk." Penelope was letting her fear of rape and so forth take too much control of her.

"Where are you going?" asked Pepe. Penelope pushed herself up onto another bit of higher ground and kept on going up, not even thinking about going down. Her only determination was getting far from Pepe.

Pepe was clever. He took a quicker trail up to meet her. He was leaning causally against the wall of rock, hand propping him forward, and ankle crossed.

Sure enough, Penelope came up breathless and beginning to sweat. She stumbled forward to Pepe and thinking she was sage rested her hands at his shoulders.

Then she felt something moist on her cheek. A pair of lips; his lips. Pepe only kissed her there and not anywhere else on her face. He kissed her out of a sudden rush of feeling that he couldn't understand. He couldn't be in love this fast, but he kissed her as a small comfort.

Penelope turned her head to face him and he repeated the gesture causing her to run to the side and slip down a slippery path, but she didn't quite let go of Pepe's shoulders so he went down after her as well. Down they slid shouting all the way, until they were heading into a cave. Penelope stopped in front of the cold wall which lead to what was more tunnels. Pepe slid into her and realized something. She wasn't wearing a certain undergarment underneath because the dress had a built in one. He could feel her smooth back his head had hit and didn't feel any lines or bumps. He was stunned. Up till now, he thought every woman wore that undergarment no matter what they had on. His mouth quivered in shock and he blinked rapidly then shoved out any bad thoughts before they could control him about undergarments.

Penelope was shivering more than ever. She stood up and slipped forward. Pepe pictured the two of them trapped in the cave as if an avalanche had hit them and he would have to build a fire while Penelope brooded away from him in a corner.

Penelope only sat down for a moment then curled up onto the floor. Pepe took of his heavy jacket and dropped it onto her. Penelope felt the sudden heat and though she didn't trust Pepe, she put it on. The sleeves went over her hands since Pepe was taller than her compared to Ambrose. Not much else happened for the next few minutes. Pepe cautiously inched his way out of the slippery cave after those minutes of figuring out of how to get out since the entrance was slippery. As he did this he felt a desire to please Penelope which could have brought him the title "Streetcar."

Penelope stood up to follow him and only hoped the sooner she got out the sooner she would get away from him. Following him out of the cave and farther down from it to a grassy slope the she continued. She gasped from the pain of her shoes. How they hurt!

"Why did I wear these new shoes?" she moaned. She continued to follow him. The journey down was boring to her and only the stars were they're light. Once in close range of her hotel, Penelope tore of his jacket into his hands and looked at him.

"Thanks you," she said quickly, but politely.

"You're welcome Penelope," said Pepe with a kind smile.

He felt smiling, but when he turned around he saw Ambrose come out and hug Penelope. Then he churned inside with anger.

He was so upset in fact, that when he got to the small motel he was at he put up a sign on the door that said "Do not disturb vous." He slammed the door and leaned against it. He felt such an urge to take Penelope away from those sickening men. He cared enough for her compared to them. Whether he loved her or not

he would keep her away from them somehow. Loved her? Did he? He thought he was.


	11. Really Well Said and Smelt

I do not own Pepe or Penelope (or the cartoon Really Scent.) These chapters are inspired by.

(I'm on a roll with this story! I'm also working on _Brother and Sister_. This multiple story writing is stressful and exciting, kind of like a race. I've also just realized if this romance goes on five years before Pepe and Penelope tie the knot I'm going to have to spread everything out. So I may come up with my own ideas of look through comic books for inspiration!)

_**Chapter Eleven **_

_**Really Well Said and Smelt **_

"Now down this dock you will find the two yachts that my momma and poppa gave me for my birthday," said Ambrose. He stuck a cigarette between his gapped teeth. "What do you think Penelope? Amazing toys huh?"

"Yes they are," said Penelope half-heartedly. "I suppose you will be going on one of them soon?"

"Not without you," said Ambrose. "I would love to share this with someone who is a pretty as you."

"But not someone _like_ me," thought Penelope. She was smart enough to see what Ambrose thought of her.

"I think in a year or so I will go on a cruise," continued Ambrose. "Maybe one following spring, summer, autumn or winter you would come with me."

"I do not know if I could leave my family," said Penelope and she folded her hands delicately in front of her. "I do not know if I would be comfortable outside of France. I did not like it much when is Casablanca."

"Also known as the Cas Bah," said Ambrose. "I went there for a month while on a tour with my poppa."

"Really?" asked Penelope as she glanced down at the shaky boards of the dock. The water underneath was almost green.

"Really." said Ambrose. "Quite fun. We should go again, just you and me."

"That would be…wonderful." said Penelope so as to not offend him. Inside she rolled her eyes awkwardly.

"Terrific," chortled Ambrose. "One of these days we will sail away onto the big blue horizon!"

"Would it be-" asked Penelope which made Ambrose eye her coldly. "I mean, sunsets are on the horizon most of the time and they are reddish-pink."

"You are ridiculous," replied Ambrose. "Now forward on to the town to show you the store I would love to by."

Penelope followed him very carefully so as to not get her high heels stuck in the dock boards and hoping there wouldn't be any strong wind that would blow her airy, yellow dress up.

The rest of the day had been boring. Ambrose showed Penelope an old abandoned limberg cheese factory.

Penelope looked around her cautiously for Pepe and held her breath if he came around. Since he was nowhere in sight she was glad to exhale in relief that he wasn't close by.

It wasn't until two days later she was crying by herself. Ambrose gently told her he wanted to court someone else, but he also said that she was too much of a nervous wreck which hurt her feelings. He was hoping to try one of her sisters. She just sat there on the back steps of the hotel she had been staying at crying and crying. Tears dripped onto her light purple dress and feeling enough pain in her heart slipped off her high heels that ached her feet.

She didn't feel pretty now after someone had dumped her. Just the night before she dreamed that Pepe was holding her as she squirmed around in his arms. He called her "belle femme skunk creole." She didn't feel like a "belle femme skunk creole," especially the "skunk" part.

"Really!" she sobbed. "Why do these things happen to me? They hurt me really deep."

Pepe knew she was a cat, but yet he still found himself wanting her near. It might have been a feeling of protecting her or something else he couldn't grasp yet. Feeling that Penelope was repulsed by his normal odor of being skunk he purchased from different stores in Paris every type of deodorant he could find. He put heavy coats of it on his neck, arms, face and tail. It was a mix of success; while he had picked out masculine ones, he also grabbed hold of feminine ones which smelled flowery and fruity.

"Really?" he grumbled when he sniffed his arm. Spices, oranges, jasmine and mint greeted him making him cough. If that would help Penelope, then he would survive.

He saw her the next day when she was home. He put a bouquet of yellow roses on her doorstep.

"Penelope?" he said calmly. She didn't answer. "Penelope would you just open zhe door?"

She cracked it open to see him. Faintly white smudges were on his nose.

"What is that one your nose?" she asked.

Pepe swiped at it and smiled politely. Penelope could smell the deodorant, which made her feel nauseous. It was like being in a perfume department with every brand sprayed in the air.

"Eet's deodorant," he said as he rubbed his foot against his ankle to shine up his shoes.

"Really?" she asked with a small smile thinking it was a little funny. "Well, I suggest you get a better brand. This one is too strange if you are not offended from a little criticism."

"None taken," he said. He nudged the bouquet of roses that were leaning on the wall in a box. "Um, I brought you flowers."

"Oh," she said surprised. "I will take them. Thanks."

"You're welcome," he chuckled. He stared at her eyes. They were so beautiful! Penelope was not staring at his; she was staring at his smudged nose. A part of her wanted to clean it and then part of not wanting to bother.

"Good-bye." She said and reached for the box and shut the door softly.

"Right," sighed Pepe. He glanced at her door longer hoping she would come back out to kiss his cheek out of thanks for the gift. She did not. He wanted to kiss hers again.


	12. Worth One Scent

I do not own Pepe or Penelope (or the short Two Cents Worth) that one is favorite so I've been looking forward to this! Hey, have you guys ever noticed this? In some shorts, Pepe's tail is his height, and then in other ones it is like way high over his head? Weird!

**_Chapter Twelve_**

**_Worth One Scent_**

In the countryside Penelope went to meet her family who were delayed in seeing her. Of course, Pepe was close around in her proximity. He was on his own escaping the pressures of finding a job since he had been fired from the perfume shop.

Penelope had awoken refreshed from a good night's sleep and showered that morning after a nice breakfast. She went out onto the small village she was in dressed in dark denim jeans, black flats and a grey shirt. Nobody was out since it was when the villagers took naps around that time. She sighed and hummed a tune.

Pepe was up as well and had been for a while watching the sunrise. His high-tops were now dry from the grass that had been damp before giving the white capped shoes a glistening shine. He had rolled the cuffs of his new dark denim jeans because they were a little long two times for the appropriate length. In a raglan shirt with the sleeves black and the rest grey he breathed the fresh air.

He glanced down at the small village and saw her on the outskirt of it. She was smiling and wandering on her own. He felt his heart rush and then before he knew what he was doing he was hurrying quietly behind her smiling.

"Guess who?" he said placing his hands in front of her eyes. She froze.

"Le Pew," she sighed. Pepe smiled in that she had remembered his name. Last name, but that was better than nothing.

"Ugh! What a weird name!" she thought.

"Bonjour Penelope," he said freeing his hands from her eyes which she rubbed quickly.

"Ah, you too." She said sharply wanting him to leave.

"Where are you heading of to on your own?" asked Pepe. She started walking, but Pepe stepped in front of her and walked backwards easily. Penelope kept on walking ignoring him. He finally turned when they were among a wood and he turned…SLAM!

Right into a tree. Penelope was genuinely was concerned that he was hurt. He wasn't for he followed more.

"If you do not mind," she said. "I am going to walk alone now."

Pepe grabbed her hand which jerked her back.

"I won't have you do zhat," he said kindly. "A woman should never be on her own een zhe wild."

"Exactly," Penelope thought.

Instead she said; "What do you want me to do?"

"Stay weeth me," said Pepe almost whispering. He still clung to her hand. Their _left _hands intertwined. Penelope thought his hands would be sweaty, but they were not.

"With you?" she asked looking him in the eye.

"Weeth me Cherie," he said lovingly. He kissed her hand, her wrist, then up her arm to the cheek he kissed before. Penelope trembled with what he could do to her alone in the woods.

"Will you stop that!" she snapped. Pepe was not taken aback, but he stopped.

"You know," he thought to himself letting go of her hand. "Eet eez not just a keess of physical attraction. I admire her mind too."

Penelope went on at a steady pace. She might have called the police, but she couldn't find anything bad that Pepe had done and she felt guilty at the thought of putting someone in jail.

She went on with Pepe not too far behind her. Then she broke out into a run. She ran up the small hill which would lead out to a cable car.

"He's been lost," she thought looking over her shoulder. She couldn't see Pepe, so she went into the cable car which was empty. By accident she went to the front and leaned onto a lever which gave it a jolt and a slow shake.

Pepe now sat in the front row and smiled at her then gave a small wave that was flirty. She looked back randomly to see him as usual. She gasped to see him. He was just sitting there with a smart-aleck and intimate look with his right hand under his chin.

"Nice going Cherie," said Pepe. She may have run, but he knew how to run faster even if he was in last place.

"Amazing," she said. She couldn't believe how they kept on meeting each other. She and Pepe didn't even believe in jinxes. So there must have been something greater happened between the two of them.

The cable car went on every now and then with a annoying jerk and jolt.

JERK!

JOLT!

It went that way for twenty minutes. Now Penelope wondered if she could climb out and tiptoe on the wire that cable car was going on.

JERK!

Her thoughts were interrupted by the annoyance.

JOLT!

She nearly fell out of her seat which was in the captain's place.

"How annoying!" she wanted to complain. "I am stuck on an old cable car with the last man I would want to be intimate with!"

Pepe was leaning back in his seat and shook his right foot that had fallen asleep.

"I hate eet when zhat happens?" he said.

"What does?" asked Penelope to break the silence.

"When your foot falls asleep."

"Oh yes that is annoying."

"Or een zhe hand when you keep eet clenched or somezhing."

"Yes that too."

The cable car finally rested at the station. Penelope leapt out and bolted away into the next part of the woods.

"Where eez she going?" Pepe thought.

Penelope dashed out onto the woods and rested under a tree to catch her breath. Pepe spotted her and smiled.

"Navigator to pilot," he said to himself. "Pretty girl at three o'clock. Over! Roger! Wilco!"

He took a few paces and chuckled at how funny she could be with her mannerisms.

He reached her tree and leaned against the trunk. Penelope glanced at him. Figures! He climbed up a branch.

Then to Penelope's shock and amusement he made eck sounds rapidly and pointed his fingers like they were weapons.

"I pierce you weeth zhe eck-eck of love flowerpot," he said charmingly. She held back a smile at his saying.

"Very funny," she said. She got up and slowly walked since she felt tired from running and bolting away. Pepe reached out to he the branches of the closely growing trees and swung himself easily to the next one to follow her.

"You are like a monkey," she said. "Swinging like that."

"Merci," he said and jumped down.

The two walked slowly. The sun beamed high and Penelope felt groggy. She sat in the grass and lay on her side. She almost forgot that Pepe was there because she felt content. Like a small child having a lazy and enjoyable day.

Pepe sat next to her and glanced up at the sky.

"Eet's lovely," he said.

Penelope ignored him and dozed. Her eyelids began to droop at the sound of his voice.

"Zhis had been a good day for me," said Pepe. "I like seeing you Penelope."

She said nothing and twitched her hand. Pepe stared at her and struggled to find his feelings about her. Was this love? Was this a mere crush? Just smitten? Just fond of?

Whatever it was he found himself leaning towards her cheek again and kissed it. Penelope rolled over from the feeling.

"You're a good lady Penelope," he said gently. "I don't know why zhose men don't see you for you." They would treat her as if she was worth once cent than more.

Penelope heard that! She wanted to react, but sleep was taking over her body (which Pepe was starting to notice since they were close to each other.)

"She eez so beautiful," he thought and lay back with his hands behind his head and dreamed of her even though she was right at his side. "I hope you find zhe right one for you Penelope. Wherever he eez."

If only they both knew…


	13. Touch and Run

I do not own Pepe or Penelope

(This is inspired from Touche and Go which is not mine either. All the lines from the cartoon do not belong to me either because they belong to Chuck Jones. ) This is one of my favorites as well so I've been looking forward to doing this one. I've noticed three things; I found a Pepe le Pew comic of mine and he pronounces the I's normally sometimes, so I would like to try that. One story I liked that was about Pepe's and Penelope's daughter (I'm not the only one with the idea!) is gone! I really liked it too. :( Finally, there are realized images of the new Looney Tunes show. They are redesigned, but check it out anyway. It will take time to get used to, but remember that classics will always remain, things change and not to label the new show as bad before it comes out. Personally, I'd rather have the new show than **no** Looney Tunes on TV! Pepe's redesign is my favorite already and looks really, really, really, good to me! Hopefully Penelope's there too and some romance can get going!

_**Chapter Thirteen **_

_**Touch and Run **_

In the heat of one hot day anyone would want to be near the water. Penelope was along the shoreline trying to get away from her family since they had left their last vacation spot only a day before. Trying to avoid other contact from others for a few hours Penelope had wandered up farther along the beachside. She felt conflicted of what was happening in her family. Her sisters were courting twin brothers and were already looking for wedding dresses. Penelope dreaded this. If they got married then she would have to follow as well. Part of her just wanted to give in and marry any of her suitors, but part of her felt too nervous to do so.

Now she realized as she had been thinking she had walked away from the beach and went inland a bit. She was now nearly up a hill which led to a peak which dove down into a cove of some sort. Peering down it she wondered if there were any sharks swimming around. A bit of wind caught her, swishing her grey-blue dress around her legs and making her wobble in her high heels. (They were new black ones that she had to break in.) The sea was sparkling blue as the sun winked at it. Penelope sat, but not too close to the edge. She adjusted her beige tank top underneath higher up since the dress was a low cut much to her displeasure. Sniffing the air she felt relived to smell the fresh air and greenery instead of burnt garlic and rubber which was how Pepe smelt. She was so deep in her own world, that she didn't notice that someone was coming up from behind her.

Pepe stood behind her for one full minute knowing for certain that something was drawing the two of them together with all of their meetings. Now he felt certain with himself that he liked her a lot and it was not as a fondness because it was more than that to him.

"Well," he said. "I didn't zhink of you as a traveler."

Penelope jumped up with her mouth wide open in shock.

"Are you stalking me?" she cried.

"I am not," he said charmingly. "We just keep meeting each ozher."

"You have gotten me in enough trouble," she said hastily. "My mother was furious to find me coming home so late in the evening and that I had been with other male that she did not know!"

"She should feel better to know that you could have come across worse men," said Pepe. "I stayed weeth you zhe whole time and followed you back when you woke up although she were mortified."

"Look," said Penelope taking a few steps away from him. "You are not a bad guy, so I do not want you to get in trouble. So with that, I suggest you move one away from me. It will save you from my family's attitudes."

"I'm not scared of some aristocrat family," said Pepe turning to follow her pace. "Eef I was, I wouldn't be around you."

"Just mind your own business," said Penelope. She went up the hill tightening her beige sash around her waist. She just wanted to get away from him and be alone again.

Pepe stood still watching her. She clumsily went up the hill wanting to see the view.

"Zhere are plenty of ozher fish een zhe ocean eef you like fish," he said to himself. "Personally I prefer girls. Call eet a weakness." Then up the hill he went humming a tune to himself.

Penelope looked over her shoulder to see him and hear him faintly singing; "Darling, can't you hear me asking?"

Penelope stood still feeling upset. She turned around to face him. When he came up he stood in front of her with his arms crossed over his chest. He stared her down.

"What now?" she asked. She felt like a little naïve child was following her wanting to see if she had some candy to give him.

"What now what?" he said smartly. She broke into a run up the hill she almost felt a desire to jump into the water and swim away. Pepe was hot on her heels and came to her side.

"You're not going to jump are you?" he asked concerned. Penelope suddenly turned sharply because the edge was right there and she ran down the other side. Pepe, however, fell over the edge and calmly went down. The hill was actually not that high. Thankfully he didn't hit any of the rocks below. Penelope didn't know he had taken a tumble over the side scampered down the side and jumped onto the stones to hide from him. She leaned against the side of a flat one that was like a floor and wall, but there was hole through it which was like a window. She panted and her legs hung over the side.

"Darling!" she heard Pepe. He broke through the still curtain of the water and leaped onto the rock with his hands heaving him up from his grip on the edge. He kneeled at her side, but even on his knees he was taller than her. He saw her panting.

"Are you alright?" he lightly and daringly kissed her cheek to which she squirmed.

"Yes," she said coughing from his scent that was still strong while he was wet.

"You look pale," he said softly. "Do not move, I'll get you a glass of water." With that he kissed her cheek again quickly and jumped back in splashing her. She stood still stunned and stood up to move away. Then suddenly Pepe's head back up.

"I just realized I may have to swim to shore to get your water," he said. "Can you wait zhat long to be refreshed?"

Penelope was already stumbling the way she came.

"Never underestimate zhe recuperating powers of a woman," he said to himself. He ducked back down to swim some more. He felt too hot that day as it was, but laundry can be crick in the neck when you're a bachelor. So he had put on black jeans and a matching light jack which he now regretted, but he thought it would get cooler along the coast. It apparently didn't. He felt the water seep into his high tops, through his only clean white socks. It felt good, but it would get heavy after a while. He swam easily along under water, but his tail stuck out like a sail in the water. Penelope noticed that and didn't know what to think. It was the weirdest sight she had seen so far in her young life. If he had been swimming any faster it might have hit acceleration.

Penelope continued to hop along the rocks. Finally, she found solid land that she could hop onto easily. Pepe waded out of the water and shook himself. Beads of water flew off from his hair and his tail. His white shirt clung to him. He felt heavy after his long swim. How long he had followed Penelope to catch her in case she fell in the water he wasn't to certain.

Penelope frowned at him. She walked briskly. Pepe couldn't find himself able to move.

"Oh!" he heard Penelope's frustrated voice moan. She was far from the beach she had been on. She was along a rocky cove and she didn't know how to get back.

"Do you need some-" began Pepe.

"No!" said Penelope. She crawled up rock to see around the corner of where she had come from. Pepe managed to go towards her. He crawled up the best he could and as she stood up he stood behind her. She turned fast and Pepe backed behind her to give her space. Penelope leaned back to look up the hills which later became cliffs and felt perplexed. She stepping back a little causing Pepe to balance on the edge. She suddenly felt his against her. Her heart ran fast. Her head went back into his shoulders. Pepe eyes went wide as he felt her against put his arms forward as if to barricade her as they fell. It was a rush of feelings; feelings of confusion and amazement of Penelope's figure facing him. Then so quickly they felt weightless as they went over the edge. Penelope felt the water close over her and she heaved herself back up and gasped. Her skirt floating away from her legs made her embarrassed. Pepe was probably underwater looking up her dress. He wasn't. He was up right behind her, but he could feel the softness of her skirt brush against his legs.

They were still for a moment and then half with sarcasm and heart Pepe spoke.

"Eef I was a captain of a ship, you would be my first mate."

"M-m-m-mate?" asked Penelope in fear. She was thinking of another type of mate.

"Zhen I would tell you what to do instead of watching you make mistakes," he said.

Penelope gazed back up the cliff. She didn't feel hot, but not she felt nervous. How would she get back? She felt a wet hand on her half-bare shoulder since the dress straps where not very wide. Pepe's left hand lightly squeezed it.

"You'll get back," he said gently. "I'm sure even your mom would understand."

"She will not," said Penelope handing her head down. She felt Pepe's hand leave her and heard it splash back in the water. She suddenly felt his cool lips at her cheek for the third time that day as they kissed her sweetly. If she slapped him in the face, he could handle it. His past romances had done that to him before.

He swam around her to avoid the awkwardness. Penelope felt one of her shoes slip off her foot. Her right shoe started plunging down. Then Pepe dove under. Penelope stood still, moving her arms around to keep her head out of the water. Then after at least a minute, Pepe shot back up in front of her. He held the shoe by the heel.

"Yours?" he inquired smiling. Penelope smiled a little back and took it from his hand.

"Thank you for diving under," she said. She reached for her other shoe to take it off so she wouldn't loose it.

"Eef you're a skunk you learn to hold your breath for a long time," he said reassuringly.

Penelope nodded and started swimming toward the cove. Pepe stayed out. He watched Penelope wade onto the cove and slip back on her shoes. Her soaked dress clung to her, hugging every curve, feature and design. How could he look at her and feel something growing between them? Could he be in love after all? How in the whole wide world could he think that the most beautiful woman he had ever seen was not his own species? She was a cat after all, but she was so beautiful. To those entire questions he felt that the answer was yes. He ran his bangs back with the same hand he had touched her shoulder with hoping to see her again and maybe try to kiss her. Those kisses on the cheek made him yearn to get closer to feel her lips against his. If he could only kiss that lovely shaped mouth and delicate lips just once…


	14. Scent for an Errand

I do not own Pepe or Penelope or the short and lines from _Who Scent You_? This is inspired by.

I do own Penelope's family, and Pepe's family.

(Whew! I thought I would never get to this chapter this week! It's been busy with the old people in my family!)I'll have Brother and Sister up this week, hopefully before Friday, but check when you can. It may be up earlier. Now I'm going to give a secret on my I chose Chevalier on being Pepe's middle name in my story: I couldn't think of a good middle name for him so when I was watching _The Aristocats_, I noticed the singer's name who did the opening song; Maurice Chevalier. Once I learned how to pronounce it right I liked how it sounded. It sounded more memorable and creative then Jacques!

_**Chapter Fourteen **_

_**Scent for an Errand **_

When Penelope had gotten back to her hotel with her dress soaked her mother was furious and scolded her as if she was a toddler. When asked where she had been Penelope couldn't answer. She didn't like Pepe that much, but she didn't want him to get in trouble. He didn't do anything wrong like kidnap her or worse things. She had left him to swim a little longer and at the shallow edge he paced the best he would pass by the nervous fish when he wanted to get out.

"Pepe Chevalier Le Pew!" said Nancy in a stern tone.

"Uh-oh," he thought. "When she says zhe middle name I know she's mad at me."

Nancy was talking to her son over the phone in a phone booth. Thankfully he had more than enough change to keep the conversation going. He felt like talking to his brother Louis, but of course his mother picked it up instead. He wanted to talk about his new infatuation, but he didn't say her name to respect her until she liked him back.

"Why were you swimming weeth a girl you hardly now?" she almost yelled.

"She fell," he said for the third time. "Nozhing bad happened."

"Pepe," she sighed. "I know you are a good boy-"

"I'm not a boy," he said annoyed. "I'm an adult!"

"You're an adult who eez a boy," she said. "Male eef "boy" sounds too childish! As I was saying you're a good adult, please don't ruin eet. I know desire can be overpowering, but fight eet! Wait for your wife!"

"Whatever Mom," he said. Nancy covered her eyes with her free hand. She couldn't be more amazed that the conversation which had started out with Pepe coming home on a ship had led to an argument over purity.

"Pepe," Nancy sighed calmly after a pause. "Don't save yourself for your father and I. Do eet for yourself and your wife. Brides don't wear white wedding gowns to represent how many times they have slept weeth a man. Eet's to represent zheir purity. Yet…many who do should probably wear a red dress instead. I just want you to do zhe right zhing, even when eet's hard."

"Mom," her son snapped. "Don't tell me what to do! You've had your life, let me have mine! I'll do what I want! I'm an adult!"

"You're not talking like an adult," she said gently.

"Well I am and you are too blind to see zhat!" he snapped back and hung up.

Nancy hung up her phone at her home and went back to sweeping the kitchen floor. Hurt by her son's words she brushed away a tear in her eyes.

Pepe kicked a rock down the street and stormed half dry and half damp from the earlier dunk with Penelope. As if it didn't seem bad enough a car passing by him drenched him from water that was running from a loose hose. Once on the small ship that would head back to another port closer to the road to Paris he stormed to the empty hair salon and dried his hair off which included brushing his tail with one hundred strokes. Later he stayed out on a small deck by himself. He leaned over the side feeling the gentle wind. He looked down at the ocean. He wondered if his mother was hurt by his words and if she had a sea of tears in her eyes. He didn't mean to snap at her twice. Anger could be a monster when used against a loved one. He knew he would apologize to her when he got home. He was just tired of her running his life. She didn't have one at his age. She was a housewife at twenty-one and a mother at twenty-six. What did she know about desire if she got married so fast from true love?

Penelope in the mean time had gotten lost among the crowd and had to find a way to get on the ship that had her parents. They were heading towards their room, but her father was waiting for her. Penelope huffed to herself as she climbed up a fresh white painted fence getting her hands and shoes whitewashed. The fence led to the doc and instead of waiting she climbed over. When she heaved herself over her light pink dress was whitened a little. Then she scurried over cutting her way through and deeply apologizing for doing so. Once she got on the ship she hurried down to her room only to be welcomed by her father and scolded by her mother. As soon as the scolded was over and dear old father stepped in to defend Penelope she was given an errand (or a few) to run down to the salon and bring some three bottles of everything: bath salts, lavender shampoo, conditioner, sponges, nail filers, brushes and facial masks. Leonardo went out for a game of cards with the passengers. That left Penelope to run the errands.

"Stupid," she only mumbled to herself. She left the women there who were cautious with their hair on windy days under the dryers. Penelope held back a snicker and went back to her room. She had just gotten back to her room when she was ordered to bring some orange slices.

"Why would you eat while taking a bath?" she said to herself. Then realized it wasn't for eating, it was for pampering the water. So after going to the food bar to get may be 20 thick orange slices in a paper cup she went back.

"Now do not bother me!" snapped Guiliane.

"Thank you," said Francine when Penelope dully gave her the cup.

"Will Mam need anything else?" she asked with fear in her eyes.

"I do not think so Penelope," said Francine. "You can go now. Maybe you can relax in a bath later."

Penelope went out onto the deck she kept her legs close together as she stood out looking at the waves. She felt as if some naughty idiot would try to look up her dress. The same dress she had worn earlier. She was punished for getting it wet and she was to wear it until it dried as her punishment.

"Life is so hard," she said to herself. "I wish I could just get what I want-" (Though she didn't know for sure of what she wanted.) "It takes a long time to earn things."

"Getting zhere eez half zhe fun," said Pepe who had quietly come to her side and had stood there for a second.

"I would scat if I were you," said Penelope not looking at him. "My mother was furious to hear about why my dress was wet."

"Sorry about zhat," he said. He inched closer to her, wanting to badly to kiss her soft looking lips. He feared they had been kissed before and he hated the idea of some jerk kissing that beautiful mouth. Penelope though turned and left to go lower down deck. She went down the curvy stairs. Then she heard a quick swish sound and turned to see Pepe sliding down the banister legs off to one side, arms crossed in front of his face which was heading downwards, and stomach running against the polished maple. She turned away with her back facing him He sat upright on the banister. Penelope could feel his knees lightly touch her back.

"You know what?" he said. She didn't answer. "Eef you and I were togezher, you would be my peanut and I your brittle."

Penelope looked disgusted. She was listening to a glut!

"What is it with men and their love of food?" she grumbled.

"I don't know. What eez eet with women and zheir love of chocolate?"

Penelope did not answer. She felt taken aback. That was a moment of touché!

"Eef we drown I would pull you into a life boat with me," he said with chivalry.

"To kidnap me?" she asked.

"No," he said. "You can't walk from a life boat. Zhey should be called 'zhis eez zhe life boat.'"

Penelope moved from him.

"You better not follow me to my home town," she said softly.

"I won't," he promised. "You can trust me." Her next words cut his heart for her.

"I have nobody to trust after what has happened to me," she said solemnly and went back to her room.

_Author's Note: Hey for fun, what do you think is a good love song for Pepe and Penelope? I've been listening to the radio lately and thought about it. Plus, there's tons of ideas on YouTube. _


	15. Annoying Little Ol' Me

I do not own Pepe or Penelope or the short _Little Beau Pepe. _

I do own Ernest Poole (It's fun coming up with these names for suitors!) I'm trying to have good development with Pepe's feelings for Penelope!

_**Chapter Fifteen **_

_**Annoying Little Ol' Me **_

Penelope was blessed with some ease after she came home. She didn't see Pepe or a long while, but he did see her. He would see her at boutiques looking for decent clothes, markets, among parks and café's with suitors. When at café's he watched her delicate fingers balance the menus and her glasses of drinks. Always from a keen distance to make sure she was safe. If she didn't want him around then fine! But who said she didn't have to know he was close?

Pepe's infatuation with her kept on growing to the point that he wanted to destroy every suitor who came by her. He could see how miserable she was. She would draw herself away from them all with fear and would walk slowly home with her feet dragging. One time he hid under a ladder that was being painted white and avoid the drops of white paint just make sure she was fine when one creepy suitor put an arm around her. Pepe would go home at night after stalking, dreaming about her. Nothing nasty like other men who had seen her; they were the type of dreams where she accepted him after he saved her from those men. There was one where she was resting among a small oasis in the desert having a hard time breathing and he was across the small bit of water. She looked at him and then…he woke up from that dream. Drat! Only the next night did he dream that she was chasing him across that same desert and he wasn't too thrilled about it. Why?

Romances were strange things. The more Pepe thought about being in love the more he liked the idea of it, but he hated the idea of a great love suddenly ending like Napoleon and Josephine's marriage. Charming a girl was nothing easy. It wasn't like shooting fish in a barrel. Women were complicated enough! Pepe realized early on in life from middle school that when a girl goes after a boy, he wants to get away from her!

This quiet, protective stalking went on for about a year. By the time Penelope had just turned twenty-one, Pepe was twenty-two and struggling with life like she was. Reasons were different of course. Penelope was tired of courting and pleaded if she could live a different life which included having her own career. This was turned down! Tearfully, she went back to the annoying courting. If seemed like the more she courted some one else, the longer they stayed. That was either good or bad! Pepe was having a hard time sticking with a job. He was a waiter for only five minutes when he collided with the boss who told him to threaten the customers for tips. Pepe said he wouldn't. This led him to scrubbing floors in a boutique. He hated it. The strong smell of soap and scummy water made him have gagging reflexes!

What confused him were the suitors he noticed. They were all, well, gorgeous. Perfect complexions, muscles, suits, and curvy lips were their noticeable attributes. Was that what Penelope liked? He knew. They were cats, he obviously wasn't! He had a natural scent among his body that would stay even when taking a shower! Was that all she hated? (Penelope did not really hate him, she only didn't like him.) Furious with this, he searched for many perfumes in the boutique he cleaned. He took them home and in a jar that he had just cleaned that morning, poured them all in. After mixing them with his own hands he smeared it on his arms, face, neck, ears, and tail and even wiped it on his clothes. The smell was good enough to give a coughing fit. If it won Penelope over, then he would live with it.

One suitor that Penelope was with one day and she sort of liked him because he was patient with her was Ernest Poole. He had a buff body that could be seen under his shirt, a very attractive appearance, a luxurious suit and a golden chain in one of his pockets. Seeing him made Pepe feel weak in winning Penelope over to him. He was six feet tall since he shot up in high school, skinny, skinny, skinny all over, clothed in simple jeans, tees and high tops. But he had strength, agility, a kind heart and a sharp wit. He had a handsome appearance to his parents, but they didn't seem to count in opinion. Compared to him and this Ernest, Ernest was a duke impressing the princess and Pepe was the vagabond with strong hope this princess to see past the poverty.

"Eck!" he mumbled to himself. "Look at zhat creep! Acting like he's a main course in a café, while she eez zhe vegetable people ignore!"

Now Pepe leaned from the trash bin he had been perched on watching them walk down the street. Penelope seemed to be breathing raggedly.

"You look ill my dear," he said.

"My dear," mimicked Pepe.

Ernest led to towards the corner that Pepe was at and she leaned against the building.

"I should have kept you at home today," said Ernest.

"I am alright," she said. "My dress is too tight for me. I was told to wear it. I wish I could wear what I want." Her dress had a thick sash tightly around her waist

"Yes, yes." Said Ernest who was distracted by a pretty feline who walked by, but her eyebrows were growing together. He had zoned out of her lament.

"Maybe we should go home and take you out of that dress," he said. He sounded suggestive.

Penelope froze. She stepped away from him, but he smiled slyly. Pepe was alert watching her from his place where he had been laying, face towards the blue sky chewing on a toothpick.

Penelope stumbled towards the bin that Pepe was on. She gasped feeling helpless. Then she glanced over to see him, which he looked back to.

"`Ello Baby," he said charmingly.

Overwhelmed by seeing him again Penelope gasped and passed out. Ernest rushed to her side and lifted her up bridal style. Pepe scampered off his place and faced him only to be amused. What a shrimp! He was an inch shorter than him!

"Yes?" Ernest said.

"Where are you taking her?" asked Pepe.

"Oh!" said Ernest who thought he could take her to his place for the rest of the day. "I-I-uh- I am taking her to the doctor!"

"Are you?" asked Pepe with his arms folded across his chest.

"Yes," replied Ernest.

"You are?"

"Certainly."

"Really?"

"Look, I do not have time for silly games young man," he said. "Now go back to your chewing."

"I love her," said Pepe.

"Who?" asked Ernest. Pepe pointed to Penelope several times.

"You do?" asked Ernest. "Well, I suppose we could arrange something. You can take her to your place tomorrow and do what you want."

"Not zhat!" said Pepe with bitterness.

"Love means to have that physical-" said Ernest.

"Does not!" said Pepe.

"It does to me!" said Ernest. "Now will you please move? I have some wine at my condo and it is probably frozen by now in the refrigerator."

"I won't let you," said Pepe blocking him. In fact, he took Penelope out of his arms in the same style. "She's passed out from her emotions of seeing me again." He looked at her gently. Her head rested against his shoulder comfortably and softly moaned. Then she stirred.

"You!" she screamed. She leapt out of his arms. Ernest seized the opportunity.

"Oh my dear!" he said. "I tried to rescue you from him! He was going to take advantage of you!"

Penelope backed away from both.

"Just shut up!" she screamed at him. "This courting session is over!"

Pepe could have shouted his joy there! She turned to him though.

"As for you!" she said swallowing back sobs. "I hope I never see you again!" Then she took off down the street to her apartment.

"She will come to me," said Ernest to Pepe after a second. "She would never go with a skunk."

"You're annoying," said Pepe who was upset to see her go.

"Yes I am," Ernest said. "Annoying little ol' me!" Then he went back to a restaurant to order new wine in case of next time."

"I'll get the last laugh," he thought. "Penelope will be putty in my arms again by tomorrow."

Of course, that failed the next day for Penelope vowed to never go outside again for the rest of the week.


	16. Intense

I do not own Pepe or Penelope (I hope don't make anything here overdramatic!)

I do own Florence

_**Chapter Sixteen **_

_**Intense **_

Every dawn and dusk her image followed him to love sickness. Night and day she never escaped his mind. Lonesomeness was overwhelming when he dreamed of her being his. Strong desire and hope rested in his heart. Fantasies of her; how gorgeous she would look in a gown of white with a diamond ring upon her ring finger. How he yearned to be close with her. Oh, just to kiss her lips of silk and stare lovingly into her eyes of ebony as she leans into his arms with hers around his neck only once.

What was it that drove him nearly over the edge of insanity? Her! She was different from every other female he had liked. She didn't wear mini-skirts; she wore dresses, and knee-length skirts. She didn't wear pounds of make-up, she hardly wore any. She wasn't independent or sassy, she was gentle and kind. She was the kind that would stay at home and read while others partied the night away. She seemed like a dream and then real with her grace and voice. That and she wasn't a skunk. Everything he didn't notice before, she had caused him to fall in love with. Did she have anyone to tell her how amazing she was? She made him want different. She made him long to love her. She had switched his views on females and now he couldn't bring himself to love another woman as much.

How she was sick of being afraid. Being afraid was a bad habit for her. She couldn't break free from her fears of committing to someone she didn't truly love and/or wanted to misuse her. She felt like a jinx. How long she would lie in her bed praying and hoping for the right one to come to her. Her idea of a wealthy man grew dimmer and she wondered if she would be fine with an average guy; simple, casual, yet romantic. She wondered about what her last name would be and _Le Pew_ never came to her mind.

Both were separated from a distance. Everyday, every single, long, day they saw each other from ways. He saw it as a flirtation. She saw it as nightmare. Only a year later did they speak to each again.

"Come Mademoiselle Penelope," said Florence the seamstress. "Valentine's Day eez a good time to buy a new dress!"

"This is not my choice," muttered Penelope to herself. She was very wet from the rain which had soaked her to nearly catching a cold. She had had a dress fitting a week before for a friend of the family whose wedding was in a month. Now she had to try it on again before the wedding.

As she waited for Florence to bring the dress Pepe came in to pick up hemmed clothes. He didn't want to bother his mother with his laundry since he lived on his own.

"Oh," said Florence. "I almost forgot about you today! Monsieur Le Pew, I'll have your zhings out!"

"You?" stammered Penelope turning to see him. Pepe's eyes snapped quickly to her.

"Penelope," he said. She looked more beautiful than the day before!

"Oh!" said Florence to Penelope. "Eez zhis your boyfriend?"

"No." said the pretty cat plainly.

"Well I have your zhings een zhe dressing room," said Florence to Pepe after a moment of awkward silence.

"Merci," said Pepe as if in a trance. He slowly went to the back dressing room.

"Here's your dress," said Florence to Penelope as she handed a large white cover to her. "Just go change. I have a phone order to get."

Penelope obeyed and went to the only dressing room she found which was where Pepe was. As soon as she stepped in the door swung closed with a bang! She was startled to see him as much as he was to see her. He was gathering an armful of shirts and pants.

"What do you think you are doing here?" she gasped.

"Getting my clothes," he said smartly. "I'll leave. I'm not staying."

He sidestepped to the door. Much to Penelope's embarrassment she had tried to get the door for him and the doorknob fell off. Hurriedly she tried jabbing it back in. Without talking Pepe took it from her and tried. It wasn't much use. Penelope shrunk away from him still holding her dress.

"I have to change," she muttered, avoiding the two chairs in the small space.

"Fine." Said Pepe. He heaved the two chairs away from her side and placed them near the door. He put them together and sat down. The length of the chairs was hardly enough to keep his long legs from hanging over the sides. Drawing his knees up to his chest and covering his eyes and then burying his head into his knees he saw pitch blackness.

"You expect me to change in front of you?" said Penelope with disgust.

"I won't look," said Pepe gently. "I promise. You can trust me. I can't see you!"

Penelope moved away to a different corner. Her heart raced. She could hear Florence very loudly chatting (not taking an order.) It would be hopeless for her to hear; besides Florence was absent-minded dog.

Slowly with her eyes staring at Pepe to make sure he didn't sneak a peek at her, she removed her shirt. Pepe could hear the fabric move along her, then her skirt and the dress being thrown over her shoulders. His heart raced at those sounds. His lips trembled. He pressed his hands against his eyes even more till they hurt. He bit his tongue to focus on the pain instead. The thought that Penelope was almost naked in the same room with him made him feel warmly nervous. It was intense to control any desire. It was intense that he loved her and she didn't give a reply of affection back! It was intense that a seducing feeling was trying to overcome him and he felt weak. He had to be strong and try to think of something else. It wasn't working.

As of now Penelope looked in the small mirror to see how the dress looked. Dark lilac was the fabric with a wrap around skirt. She looked at Pepe real fast. He had still kept his eyes hidden. She took a chance to trust him, despite not feeling fond of him.

"It is safe," she said.

Pepe squinted. Blotches of color appeared before his eyes as he blinked. He rubbed them. He looked at Penelope and how he felt hypnotized by her. He couldn't say anything, but after a few seconds he thought of something and it was abruptly stopped by Florence.

Of course it was only two minutes later when they were free and Pepe dashed off home to write down in his journal of how he felt. In only one sentence he had written:

"Feeling intense has made me love her more."

_Author's Note: In three years Pepe and Penelope marry on Valentine's Day! Inspiration for this chapter was the song "What Makes you Different" by the Backstreet Boys. Gorgeous song and fits very well with out cat and skunk pair! _


	17. In Love

I do not own Pepe or Penelope

_**Chapter Seventeen **_

_**In Love**_

There she went. Usually she seemed to walk slowly by while everything else seemed to go fast. Now everything else faded away and she was the only thing he could see. If she blinked her eyes seemed slow, showing off her eyelashes. Her graceful and delicate figure was like out of a dream. The way her dresses would swish around her legs was beguiling. Her voice was sweet with a touch of elegance as if it danced in a waltz through his heart.

She didn't have many quirks from what he saw, but she would rest her head on her knuckles when she had a look that she dreaming. He would notice it when she was in a café with a book, she would randomly stop and do that with a glistening in her eyes of ebony that shined, reminding him of silver.

If he didn't see her for one whole day she was in his mind. Stalking him, chasing him, haunting him was her image. He could feel his heart pulse run faster when he thought of her. His palms would become moist causing him to swipe them against his jeans. He would be awake at night wondering what she was doing. Although it seemed obvious that she must have been sleeping at 1:00 in the morning.

He kept his small house more cleanly than he had before. He organized his laundry, polished the silverware and made the bed more often. He took out the ironing board out and pressed clothes that were not even necessary to press. He smiled more to himself as he was keeping a secret. He actually polished his dress shoes once a week hoping for a special occasion. Though that didn't happen, he was still hopeful. He even avoided the bars and drinking alcohol. He used a mint mouthwash twice a day.

His family may or may not have noticed the changes, but if they did notice than they didn't mention it so he wouldn't feel embarrassed from their awes. He was found playing the piano at his old home when he visited them. All of them romantic themes that would sweep and then stumbled over the ivory since the last time he sat at the piano bench was when he was six. He found a family heirloom of the violin in their spare room and note sheets. He would spend half of the night practicing. He would write of her in his journal, drawing roses the best he could around her name. He at times wrote that her last name was his instead of the one he had forgotten on that one occasion. Eight letters that added up to the most enchanting name he had ever heart in his whole life; Penelope.

He would have done anything to keep her. If for some reasons he could not be intimate with her, he could live with that. All he wanted was her in his life. Just to know that she was his. All these new experiences that he was doing were proof that he was in love.

During his transformation she remained the same. Timid and shy of everything around her she lived with the pain of being sheltered, but only half loved. Being sheltered had its affect on her. Of course her father loved her very much, but nobody else did. How she wished she had a normal family, but that seemed far from reality. She desired someone to respect her wishes. She desired for love from someone kind. The love that would make her feel protected was a rare find for her. She could never find it. She didn't feel alive in activities. The boredom increasing upon her heart made her tiresome. The men she courted were fakes! They were like cardboard cutouts. All the same with their pressed suits, neatly combed hair and money nearly breaking their fine suede wallets were predictable. She couldn't stop hearing their voices echoing in her brain when she tried to sleep at night after a long day.

"_Oh, Penelope you are so cooking!" _

"_Penelope, you are nice looking, but I do love money," _

"_Boy, why will you not act sexier Penelope. You are such a wall flower." _

"_I think the reason you do not want to kiss is because you are a bad kisser." _

"_Can I be honest? You are not pretty! Sorry if that hurts, but it is true. You should put on make-up and a more alluring outfit and then I will like you." _

"_You are not fun, you goody two-shoes." _

"_What do you say we go to my place for some fun Penelope?" _

"_Why do you not like drinking?" _

"_Are you going to stay pure your whole life?" _

"_I want you to wear a seductive dress next time!" _

"_At this rate there will not be a next time!" _

"_Well, you are not worth my time then!" _

All those phrases said by one who was bold enough to be honest or hurtful.

Of course those in her family who hated her accused her for ruining the courting. Everything was confusing. She thought that the heart mattered most when in love, but she was being told that wasn't important. Love wouldn't pay the mortgage or give her jewelry. Money would do that and that was more important. She longed to be a child again, where everything was safe when her father was around. Not now, she was a grown-up, she had to move on.

Who was this freak that seemed to be wherever she was? This tall, reeking, accented stranger. She could not find hate, but she found nervousness. Her heart would skip a beat, part of her flustered and sympathetic. She didn't have the heart to be cruel to someone who didn't abuse her. Maybe her heart skipped because she secretly liked French accents, but couldn't see herself with him. (Or was it deep, deep, deep down her heart skipped a beat for other reasons that she didn't understand or failed to discover.)

Whatever reason, it did make life more interesting, despite a little anxious. Her routine was the same. She woke up, had a hot breakfast made by the apartments' owners. Stayed walked through the streets for the morning, lunch at home, napped in the afternoon, dinner, bathed and went to bed. It was boring. Although when she would soak off in her bathtub she took a book which she managed to keep out of the water. There had been times she would have pulled out dresses and just twirled around in them to pass the time.

On more than one occasion she had asked if she could have a job of some sort which she was screamed at for even considering. She was the daughter of an heiress. She didn't have to work!

This poor cat wanted to be independent. To be independent of her family's money which paid for her bills and clothes was only a dream. She longed for freedom from the greedy eyes that lusted for her body or richness. That was only a dream to. She didn't even know what if felt like to be in love.

He did. Whenever they collided on the streets he was a gentleman. Even when she didn't look her best he had something kind to say to her.

"_Zhe day just got more beautiful because of you." _

"_Eef only more women were like you." _

"_I'm sure eef roses could talk zhey would say how envious zhey are of your grace." _

It was refreshing to have a man say that to her when she was in causal clothes that was deemed as hideous to her type of society or when she hadn't recently showered.

For a long time this went on. One in love and the other in depression sounded like a soap opera. This was real. Now he knew what he felt with all his heart; he was in love.

_Author's Note: So much bad things have happened since the last update. Someone in my family is slowly dying from pain. I'm glad I could find some time to update now. I feel terrible that I haven't. I do appreciate your reviews and that you've stuck around with me. When in is Cartoon Network going to show the new Looney Tunes. I'm so excited, but there's been no news. Well, they better have some Pepelope shipping in there! _


	18. Her Choice

I do not own Pepe or Penelope

I do own Hope Hathaway. This chapter may be disturbing.

_**Chapter Eighteen **_

_**Her Choice **_

Paris has its troublemakers. The worst of them were men who don't have a heart. So it was frightening to hear on the news that something had happened to someone who was innocent. Penelope was almost home when she saw a paramedic outside of a local bar. She couldn't see exactly who it was, but it was a young woman and she was crying hard, nearly screaming as she was being wheeled into the paramedic. With a loud wailing the paramedic zoomed down the street.

"Poor girl," said one of the gendarmes on the scene. "Zhe rapist escaped. We'll need backup for zhis case."

Penelope ran straight to her home and locked the doors and windows. She even pushed her furniture against the door. She lay in her bed shaking and fearing that she was next.

The next morning had the news (if anyone paid attention to it.) Penelope didn't catch the girl's name, but she heard the information. The victim was a skunk in her mid-twenties named Hope Hathaway. She was a girl Pepe knew from middle school, who disappeared from the students' memory in the middle of sophomore year of high school. The report was that she had met with her online "friend" who was a criminal. She agreed to meet him after giving out all of her information. He knew what she looked like, her age and stole her credit cards. She met him at the bar were she was drugged by him and then taken out into the back alley and was…

The news was disturbing. Thankfully though, Hope was in the hospital and would recover and she wasn't pregnant. Penelope though was shaken and slowly became obsessed with staying in her apartment. She dared to not look out the window.

The only time she did, she saw Pepe sitting on the steps. She glared at him.

"Let him stay there all night then!" she grumbled bitterly. She didn't mean to be grouchy, but she was frustrated from the news. With that she curled up in her bed and read a book.

Pepe, amazingly, was on the steps half of the night. By seven in the evening it was pouring heavily with rain. He didn't budge. He only blinked out the water droplets and stayed at his post. It wasn't a surprise he went home with Kleenex nursing his nose. He was concerned for Penelope's safety after hearing only the information, instead of the name of the victim on the news. He made his own stakeout in front of her home. Horrible images of her being attacked haunted him until he couldn't bear it and decided to try to protect her.

It was a week after the case was first heard when Penelope has finally got the courage to leave her home.

"I am just going to walk around the block and get some fresh air," she kept on telling herself. "If another crazier thing happens in this city, I just may go back home to Orleans!"

She almost turned on her shower when she heard a noise from her window. Tightening the sash she went to see. There peeking into her window was the criminal with lustful eyes, hoping to study his next intended victim. He was standing on a ladder and staring in. Penelope screamed which startled him and he fell off the ladder. He wasn't hurt that much for he took off running.

Penelope was thankful that she had been changing in her bathroom instead of her bedroom. He may have been looking in there!

All the fear and frustration suddenly controlled her and she made a decision.

"I cannot take this anymore!" she shrieked. "I am moving away and I will never come back!"

_Author's Note: Pardon my lateness and anything disturbing in this chapter. _


	19. Bittersweet Parting

I do not own Pepe or Penelope LAST CHAPTER OF THIS STORY! This picks up with Le Pew Tails.

_**Chapter Nineteen **_

_**Bittersweet Parting **_

"She's not here anymore," said the landlady.

Pepe was dumbstruck by those four words. Penelope was gone? Where? When? He had to find her!

"Do you know where she went?" he asked trying to not sound desperate.

"Are you a friend of hers?" the landlady questioned.

"Oui," he said quickly.

"Funny, I don't remember her having friends. She only had suitors, annoying ones too."

"Madame where has gone off to? I need to know."

"I don't know Monsieur." It was a simple answer with a shrug at the shoulders and arms. "She never said where she was going. I presumed she was going on a vacation, but she took all of her personal belongings. She deed leave an envelope weeth a check for her rent. I don't know why she went away. She was very nice. Why are you asking-Monsieur?"

Pepe had miserable exited the building with a heavy heart. He went to a bar and stood outside. He had the nickname "Mama's Boy," because he refused to smoke by other smokers at that joint. Now he slumped to the ground and took a lone, almost empty packet of cigarettes and a match.

He spent half of the night throwing up. The cigarette had taken control of his body. He collapsed on his kitchen floor and blamed himself for Penelope's fleeing. It was his fault. At least that's what he thought. He had frightened her off and she was gone! The one woman he really loved was gone and he would never see her again. He had hoped to ask her on a date at least. One date, one kiss on her lips, and just once to hear her say his name with love. He wondered if he really did love her. Perhaps he was just stupid. It was stupid to think that he ever loved her. Sorrow and depression grew over him for the following days. It was December when she bid away without an au revoir!

It was now January. The long miserable days at his job where he separated scraps from coal that would be used for trains was not what he had planned for life. Now in this evening with a fog rolling in he sat in the alley thinking about her. It was by surprise that she suddenly came out of nowhere and fell over him. She rolled onto her side to see him. She was back! Pepe's eyes stared at her with a new realization. One look into her eyes that were looking into his and he knew that he was in love with her and there was hope that she would love him.


End file.
